International student mobility: Indian Perspective

Abstract

India’s traditional knowledge system developed during the ancient period was globally acclaimed and concurrent Indian Universities like Nalanda and Takshashila attracted scholars and students from all over the world. However, the introduction of Western education during the British rule disrupted the foundations of the indigenous education system and within the altered framework; India’s role was reversed from being a provider to being a recipient, a trend that has continued into the postin dependence period. The current scenario of India’s popularity as a destination reveals that there has been a steady rise in the number of international students in the post-2000 period, which has propelled India to a noticeable position on the list of popular educational destinations. However, experts point out that this rise has not been commensurate with either the scale of expansion of the domestic education system or the quantum of increase in the number of international students in general. Initiatives towards promoting India as an educational hub have been contested on grounds of shrinking resources and increasing demand for higher education within the country itself. Notwithstanding the contestations, an emerging view is that attracting foreign students to India is a beneficial proposition for reasons like promoting diversity in University campuses and enhancing accountability in service provision, along with international recognition. This paper focuses on the broad trends in student mobility into India and attempts to identify the opportunities encompassed herein.