Govt Launches Edu Portal to woo foreign students for higher studies

In a move to attract students from across the globe, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) together with the Ministry of External Affairs launched a ‘Study in India’ portal.

External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj said, “With a network of around 800 universities and 30,000 colleges, India’s higher education system is among the largest in the world. The ‘Study in India’ initiative is an innovative scheme to bring together various scholarships and self-financing programmes and to also attract students from partner countries in South Asia, south-east Asia, Middle East and Africa to come and experience the very best of academic learning from the top institutions in India.”

“After a period of lull, Indian education system is rediscovering itself. It is for the first time that we are opening up to the international students,” said R Subramanyam, Secretary of Higher Education, MHRD.

Around 160 best Indian institutions of higher learning will offer seats to these students. To make education affordable in the country, foreign students will also get fee waivers.

“Top 25 per cent of the students will be given free education and facilities under the initiative. Next 25 per cent will have to pay half of the fees then another 25 per cent will pay 75 per cent of the total fees and the remaining 25 per cent will have to pay the entire fees,” said Minister of State Human Resources and Development, Satyapal Singh.

Besides, the event also witnessed the launch of integration of e-Sanaad with national academic depository (NAD), an online platform that enables Indian students going abroad for studies to access their mark sheet and certificate. e-Sanaad, on the other hand, is an initiative of External Affairs Ministry that helps online submission and verification of education-related documents.