No specific data on Indian students studying abroad in spite of constant efforts: Ministry

NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs informed the Rajya Sabha that there is no specific information about the Indian students studying in foreign universities. However, the minister said that approximately 10,000 students are currently pursuing higher education in China.

“Specific information about the Indian students are not available, as students do not register themselves with Indian Missions, in spite of Missions and Posts constant efforts,” the ministry said in a written reply.

As per available government data, nearly 14,000 students had returned to India from China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the measures taken by the Indian government to help the Indian students during COVID-19, it said: “The ministry, along with the Embassy of India, Beijing had adopted a multi- pronged approach to facilitate Indian students returning from China which included, inter alia, emergency evacuation from worst hit areas, establishment of 24X7 control room and dedicated hotlines for students seeking help and liaising with the government departments and universities of the People’s Republic of China for early return of these students to pursue their left over courses and minimize the curriculum loss.”

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The external affairs ministry further said Indian students who were in the last year of their MBBS course had to leave their foreign medical institute due to COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine conflict among other reasons. For such students, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has devised a scheme under which the students who were granted certificate of completion of course and degree by the respective institute on or before June 30, 2022, were permitted to appear in Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).

As per the guidelines, the commission said such students after qualifying the FMG exam are required to undergo Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of two years to make up for the clinical training which could not be physically attended by them during the MBBS study in the foreign institutes.

The step was taken to familiarize them with practice of medicine under Indian conditions, it added.

However, in the recent past, there were several reports on issues in the abroad admission process, rise in living costs, fake admission letters among other crises. More than 500 students, including Indians, have been left in limbo after Ontario's Northern College revoked their admission letter.

In June this year, 700 Indian students faced deportation from Canada after the admission offer was found to be fake. Students who had enrolled in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 found that the rent has gone up compared to 2020. Some of the students said that they had to postpone their intake as they could not find a affordable accommodation.