Study in India: All you need to know

India, being the land of various cultures and diversities, is a perfect education destination for students who aspire to get quality education. English being the medium of instruction, Indian institutes and colleges have worldwide recognition. In the QS Higher Education System Strength Ranking, India has acquired 24^th place by having top universities in its kitty.

Here students get exposure to a variety of educational fields that they can choose from such as Engineering, Fine Arts, Social Science, Architecture Management, Technology etc. In addition, India is expanding its area in the field of Bio-informatics, Space Technology, Biotechnology, Nano technology etc. Few of the popular courses that students can opt include Bachelor of Commerce, MBBS, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Computer Applications, Bachelor of Technology, Bachelor of Pharmacy, Business Administration etc. Let’s take a look at the other areas that a foreign student must think before planning to study in India.

Best universities in India

Being rich and affordable at the same time, the Indian education system has many universities to choose from. Here are some of the universities that students can go for — Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), University of Delhi, Indian Institute of Science (IISC) Bangalore, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR), University of Calcutta, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and many more.

Scholarship opportunities

India educational system has lot to offer in terms of scholarships and fellowships that international students can apply for and get the advantage. Naming a few of them would be I am the CHANGE Fellowship, Azim Premji University Undergraduate Scholarship 2018, Saryu Doshi Post Graduate Fellowships In Liberal Arts & Sciences 2018, Lady Meherbai D Tata Education Scholarship 2018, IISc Summer Fellowship in Science and Engineering 2018 etc.

Application procedure

Students can directly apply to any of the Indian University or college well in advance by going through their official websites. Alternatively, through the Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) scheme, the undergraduate or postgraduate students of planning, architecture or engineering can apply to the national or centrally funded universities. The scheme is a centralized admission service for foreign students who are willing to apply in more than one Indian university at the same time. For postgraduates, there is no age limit but undergraduates need to be below 25 years of age at the start of their course.

Visa procedure

Students willing to pursue their studies at a recognized Indian educational institution are granted with a student visa. For this, students need to provide an admission or registration paper from the chosen institution. The visa is issued for a period of five years and is extendable, depending upon the course duration. The visa fees vary for each country. The candidates need to fill an online application form and visit their nearest embassy with their online filled application form and travel documents.

Cost of living

In comparison to the giant educational hubs such as Australia, UK, and US, India proves to be way more cheaper and affordable. Many universities offer low cost in campus accommodation or you can rent an off-campus accommodation inclusive of a three-time meal at a reasonable price. Also, the daily travel doesn’t cost much. Therefore, you can say that there is not much to worry regarding the travel and living expense in India.