a. whether the number of Indians studying in the United States of America (USA) and other
foreign countries has doubled in the recent years;
b. if so, the details thereof during the last three years, country-wise;
c. whether the Government is taking any steps to upgrade public and private universities that
can be categorised as “world class”; and
d. if so, the response of the Government thereto?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(DR. SATYA PAL SINGH)
(a) & (b): Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has referred the data published by the US Department
of Homeland Security (obtained through Indian Mission in Washington DC), as per which the
year-wise details of the number of Indian students studying in USA are as under:
<pre>
Year No. of Students studying in USA
2015 1,81,051
2016 2,06,584
2017 2,06,708
</pre>
MEA has further informed that around 5,86,183 (estimated) Indian students are currently
studying in different foreign countries as on 28th December, 2017. The year-wise break-up of
number of students studying in other foreign countries is not available. However, country-wise
break-up of number of Indian Students studying in 91 foreign countries as has been prepared by
MEA on the basis of information collected and collated from different Indian Missions and Posts is
annexed.
(c) & (d): The Central Government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) are taking
various initiatives to improve quality of higher education in the country. One of the latest initiatives
is declaration of Educational Institutions as lnstitutions of Eminence(IoE) to provide world class
education to the Indian Students within the country. The Government has approved the
Regulatory Architecture in the form of UGC(Declaration of Government Institutions as Institutions
of Eminence) Guidelines, 2017 for public Institutions and UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed
to be Universities) Regulations, 2017 for private Institutions for setting up / upgrading of 20
Institutions (10 from public sector & 10 from private sector) as world class teaching and research
institutions known as Institutions of Eminence for which applications have been received. These
Institutions will provide world class education to Indian Students at an affordable rate.
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