Hyderabad, United States’ million-dollar baby, and vice versa Premium

The Fair, for a registered 3,000-student participation, witnessed nearly double the figure, a U.S. Consulate General - Hyderabad official

The venue of the annual EducationUSA University Fair, Novotel Convention Centre, appears sombre as the dreams of over 5,000 prospective students and the curiosities of their parents took over the premises.

Inside the hall stickered one and two, past the welcome board featuring logos of 40 universities in the foyer, representatives and recruiters stood like students behind tables with science exhibits, explaining what they would offer. The U.S. and Indian flags that stood together looked over the large hall and witnessed laughs and smiles, affirming its bilateralism was in the pink of health. The spot soon became a selfie point.

The Fair, for a registered 3,000-student participation, witnessed nearly double the figure, a U.S. Consulate General - Hyderabad official said. But the overwhelming response did not suggest a hint of worry about the deportation of students from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for ‘inadmissibility reasons’ by the United States Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), only last week.

Officials checked WhatsApp chats, mails, bank accounts, and interrogated students, before deporting some 15 of them on a single day with varying periods of ban. It was only in 2016, that a similar number of students were deported.

The Fair and the plenary room for the visa session, nevertheless, were equally houseful and lively.

“My daughter is interested in graphic design. What are the options?” asked a thick-bearded man.

“Madam, I have done Java coding. I have two years of gap. I am eligible for MS Cybersecurity course?” asked another, in his recognisably Godavari accent. He later introduced himself as ‘Nani from Rajahmundry’.