Why govt is pushing hard its ‘Study in India’ programme?

New Delhi, July 05: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her maiden budget speech with a new vision for a new India. Stating that, "We have set the ball rolling for a New India," she reiterated Modi 2.0 government's vision to unlock the plan to turn India into $5 trillion economy by 2025.

Making India the global education hub, the Finance minister proposed to begin 'Study in India' programme in order to bring foreign students to India. She also said that Two IITs and IISc Bangalore are now in top hundred global institutions.

What is 'Study in India' programme?

The Government has chosen Pune as a hub for its Study in India programme. The initiative was launched in April last year by the ministry of human resource development and ministry of external affairs to attract more international students.

It has created a portal that links more than 160 higher education institutions in the country, both private and government, with international students. The institutes include all Indian Institutes of Technology and National Institutes of Technology, Marwadi University in Rajkot and KIIT in Bhubaneswar.

The 'Study in India' programme's primary objective is to target foreign students by branding India as an attractive education destination.

As per the existing Government framework, provision of 10-15 per cent supernumerary seats for foreign students is there.

'Study in India' programme would target the foreign students to be admitted as per this provision, which would not have any adverse impact on the number of seats/ admission of Indian students.

How will 'Study in India' programme help?

• To improve the soft power of India with focus on the neighbouring countries and use it as a tool in diplomacy.
• To boost the number of inbound International students in India.
• To double India's market share of global education exports from less than 1 percent to 2 percent.
• Increase in contribution of international student in the form of direct spends, indirect spends, spillover effects.
• Improvement in overall quality of higher education.
• Increase in global ranking of India as educational destination.
• To reduce the export - Import imbalance in the number of International students.
• Growth of India's global market share of International students

The Government has so far approved an expenditure of Rs. 150 crores for the 'Study in India' programme for two years 2018-19 and 2019-20 which will be primarily for brand promotion activities.

At present, 'The Study in India' website says that more than 1,500 courses are on offer. Some even offer scholarships.