New Delhi: Afghanistan is the major source
country as it has sent 1,654 students for higher studies in
India, where the total number of foreign students stands at
3,471, Lok Sabha was told on Wednesday.
The government wants to attract more Afghan students
and has created additional 175 slots during 2009-10 over and
above the 500 slots initially offered on annual basis to
students of Afghanistan, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said in a
written reply to the House.
The government has created additional 251 slots to
African countries over and above the initial 247 slots. The
government has revised the scholarship rates to make it more
attractive for foreign students, he said.
The other major source countries of foreign students
are Nepal (238), Bangladesh (236), Sri Lanka (187), Iraq (83),
Maldives (76), Mauritius (75) and Indonesia (61).
The number of number from developed countries are
meagre with just one student each from the US and UK studying
here.
PTI
