As over 1.3 million Indian students pursue education abroad in 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the need to build a robust education system within India that eliminates the necessity for students to seek opportunities overseas. Speaking at the 78th Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi, Modi expressed his vision of making India a destination for global education.
“We want to build such an education system in India that youngsters do not need to go abroad to study. In fact, we would want foreign students to come here and study,” Modi declared.
We want to build such an education system in India that youngsters do not need to go abroad to study.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
India has set an ambitious goal to enroll over 500,000 international students by 2047, but currently hosts just over 47,000, primarily from neighboring South Asian countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Ravi Lochan Singh, Managing Director of Global Reach and President of AAERI, suggests that the exodus of Indian students isn’t necessarily due to a lack of quality education in India. “The main reason is not the quality of education. Many students see overseas education as a pathway to work and settle abroad. India needs to focus on creating more jobs and employment opportunities that cater to all disciplines,” Singh explained.
Addressing the specific issue of medical education, Modi announced plans to introduce 75,000 new medical seats in India over the next five years. “Every year, around 25,000 youths move to other nations for medical education. We have decided that in the next five years, 75,000 new seats will be created in medical colleges in India,” he said.
With the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict deterring Indian students from studying in these regions, countries like China, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Poland have become alternative destinations for medical education.
Data from the health ministry shows a significant increase in medical seats in India over the last decade. The number of undergraduate MBBS seats has risen from 51,348 in 2013/14 to 108,940 in 2023/24, while postgraduate seats have more than doubled from 31,185 to 70,674 over the same period.
However, experts caution that merely increasing the number of medical seats may not address underlying issues. Sujatha Rao, former Union Health Secretary, warns, “Even AIIMS-like institutions struggle to fill posts and secure good faculty. Expanding seats without the necessary infrastructure and budget could be counterproductive.”
She emphasized the need for a well-planned strategy to address human resource shortages in the medical field, rather than reactive measures.
Modi’s education reform plans are part of a broader vision to enhance India’s global standing in higher education, aiming to retain talent and attract international students to the country.
