Parliament Question: Higher Studies Abroad

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1165 ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025 Higher Studies Abroad

1165. Shri Sasikanth Senthil:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the number of Indian students who went abroad for higher studies in the year 2024 and the manner in which this compares with the figure for 2023;

(b) the major destination countries and the disciplines chosen by these students;

(c) the factors identified by the Government responsible for this outward student mobility;

(d) the steps taken/proposes to be taken to facilitate recognition of foreign qualifications and ease of return of such students to India; and

(e) the measures in place to mitigate the challenges faced by Indian students abroad such as visa hurdles, rising living costs and geopolitical risks? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (e): As per information provided by the Bureau of Immigration (BoI), the number of Indians who disclosed their purpose of visit as STUDY/EDUCATION while going abroad during the years 2023 and 2024 are as under:

Year 2023 2024 Number of Students 894783 760073 Purpose of Indians going abroad for higher studies is captured by BoI manually, based either on their verbal disclosure or the type of visa of the destination country, produced by them at the time of according Immigration clearance. Based on this data the top destination countries include United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. This data, however, does not include the type of courses being pursued by the students in the foreign countries.Higher studies abroad are a matter of individual will and choice shaped by one’s aspirations for broader opportunities, enhanced career prospects, and meaningful international exposure.

Government has undertaken various measures to facilitate VISA processing, academic recognition and student mobility with other countries, through framework mechanisms like agreements on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQs) and Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreements (MMPAs).

For streamlining the process of recognition of foreign degrees in India, University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified the "Recognition and Grant of Equivalence to Qualifications Obtained from Foreign Educational Institutions Regulations, 2025”. The regulations are available

at https://equivalence.ugc.ac.in/uploads/regulation.pdf. Further, UGC has operationalized the

portal https://equivalence.ugc.ac.in/ to grant equivalence of foreign qualifications.

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. 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.

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