Foreign Students in India: Now higher education in India is not limited only to the students of the country. A large number of students from many countries of the world are continuously coming here to study. Recently, many important figures related to foreign students have come to light in the report of All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 released by the Ministry of Education. According to the report, during the year 2023-24, students from 173 countries took admission in Indian universities and colleges. Most of these students have come from Nepal. Talking about states, Karnataka has emerged as the most preferred state for foreign students. In such a situation, let us know which are the top states that become the first choice of foreign students.

Students from 173 countries took admission in India

According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24, a total of 58,134 foreign students took admission in Indian universities and colleges in the academic session 2023-24. This survey is prepared by collecting information from higher educational institutions across the country through online medium. It includes many information like admission of students, teachers, employees, infrastructure and examination results. This report is considered the basis for making and monitoring policies related to higher education.

Most foreign students arrived from Nepal

According to the report, the largest share of foreign students coming to study in India is from Nepal. Of the total foreign students, 24.1 percent students have come from Nepal. After this, United Arab Emirates (UAE) is included with 7 percent, America with 5.9 percent, Bangladesh with 5.9 percent, Nigeria with 5.5 percent and Zimbabwe with 4 percent share. The report also states that the share of top 10 countries in the total number of foreign students was 63.8 percent.

Which are the top states becoming the first choice of foreign students?

Karnataka has emerged as the biggest education center for foreign students. 7,914 foreign students took admission in higher educational institutions here. After this, Punjab remained at second place, where 7,902 students are studying. Apart from this, 6,190 foreign students took admission in Maharashtra, 5,953 in Uttar Pradesh and 5,694 in Tamil Nadu. These five states were among the states that attract foreign students the most.

Students arrived from these countries also

Apart from Nepal, UAE, America, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, students from many other countries including Lebanon, Burkina Faso, Mongolia, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Chile also took admission in higher educational institutions of India in the year 2023-24. The Ministry of Education had started the Study in India program in the year 2018 with the aim of encouraging foreign students to pursue higher education in India. Its objective is to attract students from different countries of the world to study in Indian universities and colleges.

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Most students chose undergraduate courses

According to the report, most of the foreign students coming to India took admission in Undergraduate (UG) courses. Of the total foreign students studying in India, 73.6 percent i.e. 42,779 students are pursuing graduation. These include 27,849 male and 14,930 female students. Whereas 9,845 students have taken admission in Postgraduate (PG) course. Apart from this, some students are also studying in Diploma, PhD, Certificate and Integrated courses.

Number of foreign students increased in five years

According to AISHE report, the number of foreign students in India has increased continuously in the last five years. While there were 48,898 foreign students in the year 2019-20, this number increased to 58,134 in 2023-24. According to the report, during this period the number of foreign students has increased in both male and female categories. The number of male students increased from 32,386 to 37,295, while the number of female students increased from 16,512 to 20,839.

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If you are studying in college or university or preparing for further higher education, then you must have heard the name of UGC. But very few people know how this organization works, what powers it has and how it keeps an eye on thousands of colleges and universities in the country. Today let us tell you the complete story of UGC, one of the most important institutions of India’s higher education system.

UGC is a statutory body of the Government of India. It was started in 1953 and got legal status in 1956 under an Act of Parliament. Its main function is to maintain the level of university education in the country and to set rules for higher education institutions. UGC is the regulator of India’s higher education system. Just as there are different boards in school education, similarly UGC monitors college and university level education.

How does UGC work?

UGC does not directly go to colleges to provide education, but sets rules and standards. This organization ensures that the level of studies, examinations, research and teaching in universities is as per the set standards. UGC issues new guidelines from time to time. Universities and colleges have to follow these rules. If any institution does not follow the rules, action can also be taken against it.

How do universities get accreditation?

UGC recognition is very important for any university. When a new university starts, it has to prove that it has qualified teachers, adequate resources, library, labs and other necessary facilities. UGC examines all these aspects. Even after getting recognition, monitoring of institutions continues. This is the reason why students are always advised to take admission only in UGC approved institutions.

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How does UGC take action against fake universities?

Every year some institutions try to mislead students by calling themselves universities. In such cases, UGC investigates and releases the list of fake institutions. Even in 2026, UGC had identified many fake universities across the country and alerted students and parents. Degrees from such institutions are not valid for jobs and higher education.

UGC also gives funds to universities
One of the major tasks of UGC is to provide financial assistance to universities and colleges. UGC provides grants to many government universities and research projects. However, only those institutions are eligible for this assistance which meet the standards set by UGC.

Who is currently heading the UGC?
Presently Vineet Joshi holds the additional charge of Chairperson of UGC (University Grants Commission). He is a 1992 batch IAS officer and is known for his long administrative experience in the education sector. Before this, he has also served on important positions like Chairman of CBSE and Director General of NTA. The special thing is that Vineet Joshi is not an academician but a senior bureaucrat. Although many former chairpersons of UGC have been academicians associated with the education and research sector, currently the responsibility of this important institution is being handled by an experienced administrative officer, who is monitoring various policy and administrative functions related to the higher education system of the country. Former Chairman M Jagadish Kumar has been a well-known name in the higher education sector. He has also previously been the Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

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CUET Exam 2026: The result for the year 2026 is going to be released soon for lakhs of CBSE class 12th students. Along with the excitement about the results, there is also some worry among the students because only after this the real race for college admission begins. Especially to get admission in Delhi University, JNU and other top colleges of the country, students need good marks. According to reports, CBSE 12th result may be released by mid-May. However, the admission process into India’s top universities has changed significantly over the years, and board scores alone no longer decide admission to higher education.

Method of admission in DU, JNU and top colleges

Entrance exams like CUET are playing a major role for admission in big institutes like Delhi University and JNU, which is completely based on merit and entrance score. Whereas CBSE marks are now used only as an indication to show eligibility and educational level and not for final selection. On one hand, this change has made things clear among the students, but on the other hand it has also increased some confusion. Earlier there used to be a lot of worry about cut offs in colleges like Delhi University, now that pressure has reduced. But now it has become more important to do well in a single entrance exam, due to which the competition has increased further. Therefore, it is important for the students of 2026 to prepare equally for both board exams and entrance exams, so that they can remain in the race to get admission in good colleges.

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Role of board and CUET in DU

For UG admission of Delhi University in 2026, 12th board exam marks will not be used directly in making merit, but it will be necessary to pass the board exam. Admission will be solely based on the score of CUET (UG) 2026, which will be done through Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS). However, if the CUET scores of two candidates are equal, then in such a situation the marks of 12th and now 10th will be used to break the tie. Apart from this, for some specific courses, the university can also say that it is necessary to have a minimum percentage in the board examination, completion of which will be mandatory.

Admission process in JNU and other colleges

Admission to most of the courses in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is based on CUET score. Here CBSE marks are mainly used only to check eligibility. However, students who have good academic standing often perform better in entrance exams. Therefore, many successful candidates get around 75 to 90 percent marks in CBSE, but this is not a mandatory condition. For admission in JNU, candidates are required to choose Section IA (English) and Section III (General Test) in CUET exam.

Method of admission in other universities

Similarly, the same method is adopted in Jamia Millia Islamia, Banaras Hindu University and many private universities. CBSE marks only reflect the aptitude and academic level, but the actual selection depends on the performance in CUET. Therefore, even if a student has normal marks in 12th, he can still get admission in a good college by scoring well in the entrance exam.

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