Lok Sabha Question No. 1085 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-29
Subject: Financial Assistance to Students to Pursue Education Abroad
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Ajay Kumar Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1085 ANSWERED ON- 29/07/2024

## FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS TO PURSUE EDUCATION ABROAD

## 1085 SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  the  status  of  higher  educational  institutions  in  Bihar  in  proportion  to  population  of  the State;

(b)  whether  the  Government  grants  permission  and  provides  assistance  to  students  for pursuing higher education abroad;

(c)  if  so,  the  number  of  children  provided  financial  assistance  along  with  the  amount  of assistance, course-wise, country-wise and institution-wise;

(d)  whether  it  is  true  that  lakhs  of  children  go  to  foreign  countries  for  pursuing  higher education every year; and

(e) if so, the details of the initiatives taken by the Government to prevent such students and provide quality education within the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a)  As  per  All  India  Survey  of  Higher  Education  (AISHE)  2021-22,  the  total  number  of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Bihar is 1,444 and about 14.47 lakh students enrolled in these HEIs.

(b)  &  (c)  The  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  (MSJE),  Ministry  of  Tribal Affairs (MTA) and Ministry of Science and Technology provide assistance to Indian students for  higher  education  abroad.  Moreover,  based  on  requests  received  from  friendly  foreign countries/institutions,  the  Ministry  of  Education  disseminates  information  on  scholarships offered by such donor countries for Indian students of all the States and Union Territories to study abroad. As per information received from the MSJE and the MTA, in the year 2023-24, 125  students  were  selected  for  the  National  Overseas  Scholarship  for  Scheduled  Caste students and an expenditure of Rs. 88.56 crore was incurred as scholarship; and the National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Tribe Students was provided to 65 students and Rs. 7 crore was given as scholarship.

(d) The Bureau of Immigration (BoI), Ministry of Home Affairs captures the data of Indians going  abroad  for  higher  education  on  the  basis  of  their  verbal  disclosure  at  the  time  of immigration  clearance,  or  the  type  of  visa  obtained  for  the  destination  country.  As  per information  received  from  the  BoI,  in  the  year  2023,  the  number  of  Indian  nationals  who have  mentioned  their  purpose  of  visit  as  'STUDENT'  during  departure  was  nearly  8.95 lakhs.

(e) The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 advocates Indian HEIs to attain the goal of global quality standards. It further states that top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India. In this regard, the following initiatives have been undertaken:

- University  Grants  Commission  (UGC)  has  issued  enabling  Regulations  to  facilitate establishment  of  campuses  of  Foreign  Higher  Institutions  (FHEIs)  in  India.  The regulations are available at https://fhei.ugc.ac.in/Downloads/Regulations.pdf.
- The UGC has also issued Regulations to enable Indian Institutions to collaborate with FHEIs to offer Twinning, Joint Degree and Dual Degree Programmes. The regulation may  be  accessed  at  https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/4555806\_UGC-Acad-CollabRegulations.pdf.
- World-Class Foreign Universities and Institutions have been allowed to establish their campus in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) and offer courses in Financial Management, FinTech, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Foreign Universities and Institutions can set up their Branch Campuses in GIFT City as per the criteria and standards laid down in the International Financial Services  Centers  Authority  (Setting  up and  Operation  of  International  Branch Campuses and Offshore Education Centers) Regulations, 2022. (weblink: https://ifsca.gov.in/Document/Legal/ifsca-ibc-and-oec-regulations202213102022113639.pdf ).
- Two  universities,  namely,  Deakin  University  and  University  of  Wollongong  from Australia  have  established  their  campus  in  GIFT  City.    The  first  batch  of  Deakin University commenced  on  3rd  July,  2024. The  admissions  for University of Wollongong's first batch are still open.

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