In India, the National Education Policy for 2020 was released in July, bringing with it lofty goals for massive aspirational improvements. The new framework replaces the older 1988 policy and has sweeping changes across the board with an effort to streamline the education format, increase tertiary education enrollment and vastly improve admission in higher education in India for international students . Additionally, the Study in India program is still running and has been wildly popular, showing great success in higher education in India for international students from regions like SAARC, Africa and Asia.
New Education Policy
With the new education policy in India, the vision is to transform the entire education system all over the country starting with a budget increase from 4% to 6% of total GDP. The new schooling format will switch to a 5+3+3+4 model, reflecting the more popular format among western countries. Special attention was paid to the fact of higher education in India for international students in the policy. Bachelor’s degrees will now last 4 years with exits available through that duration, with year 1 granting a certificate, year 2 granting a diploma, year 3 granting a bachelor’s degree and completion of 4 years resulting in a multi-disciplinary bachelor’s degree. This format bodes well for Indian institutes hosting international students, as it gives them the means to be flexible with the programs they offer.
Another major goal of the policy is to open up the country to the top 100 universities of the world, with the aim of having them operate campuses within the country. Red-tape regarding student visa and enrollment has also been drastically simplified to facilitate easy accessibility when attempting higher education in India for international students . Lastly, higher education institutions will now be categorized into three types – research institutions, teaching institutions and degree-granting colleges.
Regulation
Under the new policy, all types of institutions (private or public) will be regulated by one governing body, the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI). This should ensure quicker uptake of policy changes and better standardization across universities. This can have both positive and negative effects on higher education in India for international students.
Research
While the field of research has been advancing sharply in scope and size in India, the establishment of the National Research Foundation (NRF) under the NEP 2020 is great news for higher education in India for international students, seeking new research avenues.
Non-educational Aspects of Higher Education in India for International Students
Travel: India is a vast country with a wealth of travel and tourism opportunities; the country is peppered with historical, architectural and natural destinations. From pristine coastal beaches and mountainous regions to heritage monuments and hundreds of cities, India is a gem of a travel destination.
Culture: With dozens of languages and hundreds of dialects spoken in the country, India is one of the most culturally diverse places on the planet. Higher education in India for international students can be a vibrant experience once you get to know the peoples and cultures during your time here. With a complex history, festivals of all religions throughout the year and an overflow of local traditions, the cultural draw of this nation is hard to ignore.
Higher Education at Sharda University
One of the best-equipped institutions in the country, Sharda University
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