Over 72000 Foreign Students Currently Studying In India: Govt To Rajya Sabha

A total of 12 institutions have been designated as IoE, including 8 public institutions and 4 private institutions, the govt stated.(Representative image/File)

The government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that 72,218 foreign students from around 200 countries are currently studying in India. During Question Hour, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar disclosed that Rs 6,198.99 crore has been allocated to 8 public institutions since the launch of the World Class Institutions scheme to grant the status of Institution of Eminence (IoE), reported PTI.

He highlighted that 54 higher education institutions have been featured in the QS World University Rankings (QS WUR) 2026, a significant increase from the 11 institutions ranked in 2014-15 when the BJP came to power at the Centre.

“Now, 54 Indian institutions are ranked in the QS WUR 2026,” the minister stated, highlighting that this represents India’s highest ever presence in QS WUR.

Majumdar mentioned, “India has around 72,218 foreign students from 200 countries pursuing various courses.” He added that the Centre is implementing various measures to enhance engagement with foreign universities and students.

Majumdar explained that the ministry initiated the World Class Institutions scheme to designate the status of Institution of Eminence to 10 higher education institutions from both public and private sectors, helping them evolve into world-class teaching and research entities.

So far, 12 institutions have been designated as IoE, including 8 public institutions and 4 private institutions.

“Only public institutions receive funding under the scheme. Rs 6,198.99 crore (approximately) has been sanctioned for the 8 public institutions since the scheme’s inception,” he elaborated.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to enhance the overall quality of education in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through initiatives like providing quality infrastructure, strengthening research and innovation ecosystems, and fostering industry-academia linkages.

“NEP-guided initiatives by the Government of India have considerably improved the performance of Indian HEIs in international rankings, including the QS WUR,” the ministry stated.

The number of Indian HEIs in the QS WUR has doubled over the past five years, increasing from 27 in 2021 to 54 in the latest rankings, it concluded.

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