India has a great history of education!
Some of the best universities and educational institutions are at par with international standards. Be it Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, IIT or the IIM–the pioneering educational institutions in this country have created a legacy and heritage in education.
They have turned students into world-class professionals and academicians over the years.
However, most students aspiring for higher education can’t get admission to these premier institutions due to limited intake and filtering in these institutions. Thus, Indian students aspiring for quality education are limited by the opportunities available in India.
The next best thing or an even better option for them is to find quality education outside the country.
Approximately one million Indian students are studying in various foreign countries, making India the second-largest source of international students after China. In a recent article published in Economic Times, the applications from Indian students at foreign universities has doubled from last year.
There are many reasons why Indian students go abroad to study.
This article will examine all the significant factors that prompt Indian students to go overseas for higher education.
Wide range of courses to choose from
Indian curriculum is often fed off the belief that traditional courses are the best choices to build a safe career.
All our top-ranking universities and institutes focus on general and conventional courses like engineering, technology, science, management and mathematics.
Students who wish to enhance their knowledge in any niche sector of this broad subject would indeed be left disappointed since Indian education conditions are very limited in that sense.
This is one of the significant justifications to why Indian students go abroad to study.
Leading universities abroad offer a plethora of courses for students to choose from.
If a student wishes to study an art and design course like filmmaking or hairstyling, their best chance is to move abroad and enrol in any foreign university.
Courses like these lack popularity among job seekers in India, which explains the lesser number of options available here.
You can find several diploma courses in some unaccredited institutions, for sure. However, anyone passionate about the course would choose the better option abroad.
International qualifications will help the students make a much more attractive CV.
This is indeed a flattering urge why Indian students go abroad to study.
Some universities abroad also offer course combinations as per your wish – you may even get to study data analysis and creative writing together.
This cafeteria system of learning is not yet widespread in our country.
Better career, better salary – The reason why Indian students go abroad to study
Better career, better salary – The reason why Indian students go abroad to studyIf you ask a career consultant why Indian students study abroad, their immediate answer would be the prospective career options awaiting them after their course.
An internationally recognised qualification can easily fetch you the best career opportunity possible.
Students believe it is wiser to go for a degree abroad since the same degree can boost their career when done in an international university, can grow their career than when it is done in India.
Ironically, even Indian firms prefer foreign graduates more than native ones.
The international degree you hold points inevitably to an additional skill set you possess.
Any recruitment board would value an overseas degree for more than the subject expertise – an international qualification points to the candidate’s flexibility, global way of thinking, and adaptability.
For the same reasons, a person who holds an international degree can draw a more attractive salary than their peers.
A student who returns to India with an undergraduate degree can start their career far ahead of someone who has spent years studying and interning in India, which is why Indian students go abroad to check.
The ambition of immigration is why Indian students go abroad to study
Most of the Indian students who choose foreign countries to learn do that to build a prosperous future there.
According to a recent study, about 80% of the students who complete graduation abroad choose to stay back and settle down abroad.
High standard of living, healthcare facilities and career prospects urge the students to call first world nations their home.
Since it is improbable for an Indian graduate to immigrate easily, most students study in foreign universities as the first step towards their big dream.
Countries like Canada and UK provide one or two years stay-back options on students’ visas, which is why Indian students go abroad to study.
This stay-back period is utilised as an opportunity to search for a job.
Most students manage to get placed in reputable firms and settle down there. This is way easier than attempting to immigrate after graduating and working in India.
A close connection with the community and strong ties with professors and classmates will become handy while immigrating.
Cultural integration gained during the course period will make obtaining employment and permanent residency easier.
This could be another plausible reason why Indian students go abroad to study.
More effortless admission procedure takes Indian students abroad
As we have already realised, the extreme level of competition in Indian universities has made our admission process relatively rigid and tedious.
The unscientific normalisation across state boards and the rat race to get admitted to the best university and the best course have collaboratively made the process a nightmare for the students.
This is another reason why Indian students go abroad to study.
The admission procedure and selection process are way more accessible in foreign universities.
When students with 90% marks are pushed out of the Indian higher education system, many reputed universities in countries like the UK, US, Canada and Australia won’t hesitate to welcome them on board.
For those students who couldn’t secure a place in the top universities of the country, the next best option is always to try and find a good university abroad.
Rather than settling for a mediocre institute in India, they can move abroad and enjoy quality education much more accessible. However absurd it may sound, getting yourself admitted to a foreign university is relatively more straightforward than competing for an Indian university.
Post-pandemic migration trends
After the pandemic struck, all the students studying abroad had to go through severe uncertainty for almost a year.
Many got stranded in other countries due to lockdown, and many had to travel back to their hometown.
Many had to wait through long months to restart their academics.
However, this has not brought the faintest of stains on the reputation of foreign education.
Even after the lockdown and pandemic waves, students are still opting for international universities and travelling across continents.
The only thing that has changed is why Indian students go abroad to study.
The pro-student policies of the UK, USA,, and Canada governments implemented in the post-pandemic era have attracted many new students from India to these countries.
Indian students were even added to the travel exemption list published by the USA. With the signing of a migration and mobility partnership between the UK and India, the inflow of students to the UK has been on a hike as well.
Atop of all this, the benefits of a sound healthcare system were realised during these trying times.
Developed countries that can offer an advanced healthcare system is preferred by not only Indian students but students from all over the world.
Vaccinations were also made available faster in counties like UK, USA and Australia, making it a loved destination for the times to come.
It would’ve been only logical to anticipate that the student community would dread travelling abroad after going through the pandemic and its consequences.
However, as per the data released by the Ministry of External Affairs, the number of students pursuing higher education in international universities have increased this year.
Even with the unpredictability still in the air, students still choose to migrate, taking one step at a time towards their dreams.
A closer understanding of why Indian students go abroad to study will help to identify the flaws of the Indian higher education system. Only when that is identified can we strive to reform our system to make quality education accessible for all.
Since it is doubtful for an Indian graduate to immigrate easily, most students study in foreign universities as the first step towards their big dream.
Countries like Canada and UK provide one or two years stay-back options on students’ visas, which is why Indian students go abroad to study.
This stay-back period is utilised as an opportunity to search for a job.
Most students manage to get placed in reputable firms and settle down there. This is way easier than attempting to immigrate after graduating and working in India.
A close connection with the community and strong ties with professors and classmates will become handy while immigrating.
Cultural integration gained during the course period will make obtaining employment and permanent residency easier. This could be another plausible reason why Indian students go abroad to study.
More straightforward admission procedure takes Indian students abroad
As we have already realised, the extreme level of competition in Indian universities has made our admission process relatively rigid and tedious.
The unscientific normalisation across state boards and the rat race to get admitted to the best university and the best course have collaboratively made the process a nightmare for the students. This is another reason why Indian students go abroad to study.
The admission procedure and selection process are way more accessible in foreign universities. When students with 90% marks are pushed out of the Indian higher education system, many reputed universities in countries like the UK, US, Canada and Australia won’t hesitate to welcome them on board.
For those students who couldn’t secure a place in the top universities of the country, the next best option is always to try and find a good university abroad.
Rather than settling for a mediocre institute in India, they can move abroad and enjoy quality education much easier. However absurd it may sound, getting yourself admitted to a foreign university is relatively easier than competing for an Indian university.
Research opportunities and scope of specialisation
Students who wish to engage in an academic career often go to foreign universities. Exciting research opportunities provided by leading international universities is one of the primary reasons Indian students go abroad to study.
Postgraduate courses in most of these universities are suitable for students who wish to research.
The curriculum incorporates research and moulds the right aptitude in students. Apart from this, research opportunities available abroad are much more alluring when compared to what we have here in India.
For science students, better laboratories and infrastructure can be promised by universities abroad. They offer the best resources.
Likewise, students looking for specialisations in the subject they major in generally do not prefer India.
Most subject specialisations are not offered in the country.
Instead, for a student of science or commerce, the newest innovations celebrated globally can be identified and pursued in an international university, which is mainly why Indian students go abroad to study.
Any student who would like to go for niche specialisations in India would have to wait long until it gets popular.
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