Foreign students to upgrade varsities

NEW DELHI: Not enough money to run a world-class university? Do what the Europeans do: Make Indian universities attractive to international students. While the finances it would bring in are an important consideration, such an effort would also enhance quality and enrich the academic set-up.

Strongly pushing for this model, the National Knowledge Commission has suggested to the Prime
Minister that steps should be taken to attract foreign students here for higher studies.

“It is time for us to make a conscious attempt to attract foreign students to India for higher education This would enrich our academic milieu. This would enhance quality. This would be a significant source of finance,” emphasises the report.

“If 50,000 foreign students were charged an average rate of $10,000 per year, it would yield $0.5 billion or the equivalent of Rs 2,300 crore per annum at current prices at the current exchange rate,” the Commission has stressed. Such a viewpoint may be music to some ears, but it unlikely that the ministry of human resource development will go for it. The ministry has consistently cited that education is not a “commercial” activity.

“We must formulate appropriate policies for the entry of foreign institutions and for the promotion of Indian institutions abroad,” the Commission has said in a note to the Prime Minister. Though efforts have been made in the past by the ministry of human resource development and the University Grants Commission to attract foreign students, the results have not been encouraging.

Over the last few years, fewer foreign students have chosen to make India their destination for higher education. The fall in numbers is rather drastic. In 1992-93 ,there were 12,765 international students here, as compared to only 7,745 nearly a decade later. Compare this to 40,000 international students enrolled in Chinese universities in 2003, a quantum jump from 22,755 in 1995.

Education experts say that Indian institutions have not marketed themselves well. Quality has been another key issue. Given the fact that the race for international students continues to hot up, students are going to demand best value for their money.

The All-India Technical Education Regulations of 2004 allow for 15% seats over and above the general intake for admission of foreign nationals, persons of Indian origin (PIOs), children of Indian workers in the Gulf countries in AICTE-approved Institutions. However, one-third of this intake is reserved for the children of Indian workers in the Gulf countries. If these seats remain vacant, they are made available to PIO and foreign nationals.

Similarly, the UGC has earmarked 15% supernumerary seats for foreign students in universities departments, out of which 5% seats are earmarked for children of Indian workers in the Gulf. Even students from Africa and South Asia are opting for India far less now. In 2003-04, there were 806 students from Malaysia, 681 from Nepal, and 442 from Kenya studying in India. This is far less than the 1993-94 when there were 1,421 from Malaysia, 909 from Nepal
and 4,268 from Kenya.