Parliament Question: Decline in Indian Students Pursuing Higher Education in Canada

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1360 ANSWERED ON 27/07/2026 Decline in Indian Students Pursuing Higher Education in Canada 1360. Shri Haribhai Patel: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: a) whether the Government has taken note of the reported decline in the number of Indian students opting for Canada for higher education during 2026, if so, the details thereof along with the principal academic, immigration, financial and other factors influencing this changing trend; b) the initiatives proposed by the Government to strengthen academic programmes, international collaborations, research infrastructure, innovation ecosystems and faculty exchange in higher educational institutions to provide globally competitive learning opportunities within the country; c) the manner in which Indian Missions abroad disseminate authentic and updated guidance on admission procedures, visa norms, living expenses, student welfare and employment prospects in major study destinations; d) the details of the assistance and advisory support extended by the Government to Indian students affected by changes in immigration, visa or post-study work policies in foreign countries; and e) whether the Government has established any framework to monitor developments in the international education and issue timely guidance enabling prospective Indian students to make informed decisions regarding overseas higher education and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) Studies abroad is a matter of individual will and choice, which is contingent on a variety of factors, including affordability, access to bank loans, exposure to foreign societies, aptitude for particular branch of studies.As per inputs received from Ministry of External Affairs, the decline in the number of Indian students opting for Canada for higher education during 2026 is primarily attributable to changes in Canada's international student policies which includes cap on new international study permits which is being progressively reduced year on year. Principal factors influencing this trend include:  Immigration policies  Increase in proof of funds requirement to a minimum of CAD 22,895 per year for Indian students  Narrowing of eligibility for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) by Government of Canada. (b) The Government of India has undertaken several initiatives to ensure availability of high- quality education in the higher education, including through infrastructure upgradation of public funded educational institutions, accreditation of new institutions and courses which meet the criteria under National Accreditation Board, promotion of research & innovation and augmenting digital initiatives for accessibility. These initiatives have contributed to the increasing quality of educational facilities in the country. As a result, 52 Indian Institutions are now in the QS World University Ranking (QS WUR) 2027 with 13 Indian universities securing a place among the Global Top 550, which is India’s highest ever representation, marking an increase from 11 Indian institutions in QS WUR 2015. As per Global Innovation Index (2025) India is ranked 38th globally. India is considered to be one of the largest startup ecosystems in the world (top 3) in scale, funding and unicorn count. In order to provide the best of global educational facilities within the country and in line with the vision of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to promote internationalization of education and making India a global hub for higher education, Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) have been permitted to establish their campuses in India under:  the (UGC) University Grants Commission (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations 2023, and  the International Financial Services Centers Authority (Setting up and Operation of International Branch Campuses and Offshore Education Centers) Regulations, 2022. UGC has issued 16 Letters of Intent (LoIs) to 15 FHEIs from Australia, Italy, United Kingdom and USA to establish their campuses at various places in India including Bengaluru, Greater Noida, Gurugram, Mumbai and Chennai. Under IFSCA regulations, 2022, approvals have been granted to five universities from Australia and the UK to establish offshore branch campuses in GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Further, University Grants Commission (UGC) has taken several initiatives to enhance quality of education, including financial support to HEIs. Some of the important initiatives of UGC includeissuing regulations for Joint/Dual/Twinning degree programmes, guidelines for Internship/Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Program, establishment of Research and Development Cells in HEIs, promoting the concept of Professor of Practice, accessibility guidelines and standards for Higher Educational Institutions and Universities, initiation of UTSAH Portal (Undertaking Transformative Strategies and Actions in Higher Education) to track achievements of NEP 2020, issuing Curriculum and Guidelines on Life Skills (Jeevan Kaushal) 2.0, launching of Malaviya Mission Teachers Training Programme (MMTTP) for continuous capacity building of faculties etc. (c) to (e) Indian Missions abroad engage with federal and provincial authorities, individual academic institutions and other stakeholders to ensure student welfare and to facilitate the flow of updated information to Indian students. From time to time, Indian Missions/Embassies abroad conduct consular camps, in person outreach events and various other welfare mechanisms such as Open House sessions, student orientation programmes, and use of social media platforms and diaspora associations to inform dos and don’ts, welfare related and emergency information directly to Indian students studying in those countries. In these orientation programs and open houses, Indian diaspora members, including students who already studied in that country in the past and working, are invited to share their experience and mentor the prospective students to facilitate their smooth transition to the host country and educational environment. Indian Missions /Posts abroad also encourage Indian students travelling abroad for higher studies to register with them as also on MADAD Portal so that their grievances and issues can be addressed in a time bound manner. Indian Mission also have appointed students welfare officers to attend to students concerns. With a view to provide on-site welfare on a means-tested basis and also to meet the contingency expenditure incurred by Indian Citizens, including Indian students studying abroad, Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) has been set up by Government of India in all Indian Missions and Posts abroad. *****