Foreign students in India at record high after Covid tumble | India News

NEW DELHI: A flagship initiative towards internationalisation of Indian education, Study in India (SII) Portal, received a record 72,218 students from 200 countries for the academic year 2024-25. After a significant jump in numbers which started in 2014-15, followed by a significant decline due to Covid, the renewed multi-pronged effort of govt seems to have made its impact this year.

In 2011-12, the number of foreign students in India was 16,410, which rose to 34,774 in 2014-15. In 2016-17, it recorded 47,575 and in 2019-20, the pre-Covid numbers were over 49,000. However, according to govt sources, during Covid-19 and after the pandemic, the numbers declined to around the 2014-15 mark.
Launched in 2018 by ministry of education as a flagship project, the Study in India programme sought to project India as a prime education hub for international students. However, these initiatives appeared to have had limited success and the scheme appeared to be falling short of its goals. “Covid had its major impact on education worldwide. Impact on India was no different,” said a senior official with the MoE. Thereafter, the Centre in Aug 2023 launched Study in India (SII) Portal, a centralised platform for foreign students to apply for admissions and visas.
“India is actively reclaiming its historic role as a global education hub, reminiscent of ancient institutions like Takshashila and Nalanda. With National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at its core, govt is driving the internationalisation of education by aligning curricula with global standards, fostering research collaborations, and facilitating academic exchanges to position the country as a global knowledge leader,” said Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to TOI.