A Whopping1.3m Students Leave India To Study Overseas Now

Although the new National Education Policy 2020, which aims to discourage educated professionals from going abroad, has been in effect for three years, the brain drain continues.

This was confirmed by the Union Ministry of Education in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. About 7.5 lakh Indian students went abroad for higher studies last year, the highest number in the last five years.

As compared to 2021, the staggering number represents an increase of more than 68 percent. This year, as of June 30, 3.37 lakh students had left the country to study abroad.

There are currently 1.3 million Indian students studying abroad in different countries. Since 2018, more than 28 lakh students have gone abroad for higher studies.

Regarding the number of returning students, the ministry stated that it did not keep any data on Indian students who returned to India after their studies. According to the Union Department of Education, the United States of America (USA) is the most popular destination for Indian students to pursue higher studies.

There are currently 4. 5 lakh students studying in the US. Canada is the second most popular country for higher education, with 1.83 lakh students studying at colleges.

Details of Indian students going abroad show that Canada is emerging as a preferred location for higher education, as there were 1.86 lakh students last year. In 2018, the number of Indian students going to Canada was only 1 lakh. When asked about efforts to stop the brain drain, the Union Ministry of Education said that top-notch foreign universities and institutions in Gujarat International Financial Tec-City (GIFT City) offer courses in financial management, fintech, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics free from national regulations.