India has been hailed as the traditional land of ancient education since the establishment of the world-renowned Nalanda University during the 5th century AD. During this ancient period, study abroad in India has been an idea vehemently endorsed by the scholarly population of the ancient world. However, since then several invasions into the Indian subcontinent followed by the British colonial rule had put this once flourishing haven of ancient knowledge out of operation. The 21st century has seen a reinstatement of the idea of study in India among the aspiring and meritorious students of several lesser developing countries of Bangladesh, Nepal and even some African countries.

10 points to know before you go study abroad in India

  1. To be able to study in India to pursue their higher education, foreign students should, first and foremost, complete their O level schooling and have a recognised certificate of graduation from the senior secondary school of their origin country.
  2. In regards to visa eligibility and requirements, you will need to apply for a student visa. To study abroad in India, all students except those from Bhutan, Nepal and those having proof of Indian origin need a student visa.
  3. In case you have family members living in India or any other country, they must co-sponsor your student visa along with your college or university of admission that has granted you the facility to study in India.
  4. From the perspective of healthcare and insurance when you go to study in India, there is no compulsion for any insurance but you must get an approved No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Health in India.
  5. Many foreign students who come to study abroad in India prefer to stay in the on-campus hostels of the colleges or universities that they have been accepted at as this reduces most of the logistical problems.
  6. Besides, food and accommodation costs all across India are exceptionally lower than those at other popular educational destination of Asia, so you can easily afford to study in India.
  7. Moreover, students from Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Burkina Faso and other developing African countries can study abroad in India by availing some lucrative scholarship offers like the ‘Study in India Scholarship’.
  8. Most of the bachelor courses for humanities and social science are of 3 years while some technical courses can tread into 5 years as well. For postgraduate students seeking to study abroad in India, master degree courses are of 1 or 2 years depending upon the field.
  9. Furthermore, the rich cultural diversity in terms of festivals and food is a part and parcel of students’ life who wish to study abroad in India.
  10. To apply, you can go to the national government portal or approach private universities individually. Some renowned private universities like Sharda University have dedicated facilities and systems to enable foreign aspirants to study abroad in India.