The many hurdles for students

Indian students studying overseas and those seeking to go abroad face many COVID-related challenges

Students from China and India accounted for 47% of all active foreign students in the U.S. in 2020, as per the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme, part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indian students were the second largest student community in the U.K. and Australia in 2019-2020. In recent years, Canada has emerged as a sought-after destination for Indian students. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the Donald Trump administration’s restrictive student visa policies was Canada. Indian students are now the largest group within the international student community in Canada. But in spite of their role in enhancing India’s soft power internationally, through their excellent academic performance as well as seamless integration into these countries, Indian students face several problems. These are often overlooked. However, in recent years Indian student associations have been trying to draw attention to these concerns.