Reality of Indian Students Going Abroad

About 250,000 in America, 300,000 in Canada, 130,000 in the UK, and about 80,000 in Australia. These were the number of Indian students who went to these countries in 2023. In total, 13 lakh Indian students went abroad to study.

The students who went to these four countries, on average, spent 32 lakh rupees every year. Despite spending so much money, many students are not happy. So if despite spending lakhs of rupees, students are not happy, then why are they going abroad?

Especially in an environment where there are many violent attacks against Indian students. But some students' story is very positive. Now, both the students have a very different story.

So, who's wrong? Or maybe nobody is wrong. When many people, including famous entrepreneurs, are talking about the story of India, is it worth spending 32 lakh rupees every year to go abroad and study?

Let's first understand today's situation. Last year, 13 lakh Indian students went abroad. 65% of them went to these 4 countries.

But there are many students who are going to countries that you may not have heard of. The Ministry of External Affairs released this circular in 2022. 14,000 Indian students were studying in Kyrgyzstan, where they mostly go for MBBS degrees.

6,000 students in Italy, 9,300 students in Bangladesh, more than 2,000 students in Taiwan, and 93 students in Venezuela. A South American country that may take 30 hours to reach. 38% students are from 4 Indian states.

Punjab, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Many of you may have guessed Punjab and Maharashtra. But you may not know that like Punjab, people in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also dream of going abroad.

Goa and Kerala are not sending students in large numbers. But as a percentage of their population, students from these states go abroad in large numbers. 60% of students go for a master's degree, while 33% of students go for their bachelor's degree.

Don't think that the number of Indian students going abroad is decreasing. For the next two years, it is estimated that there will be a 7% growth in this number. But it's not as if India has a shortage of colleges.

There are 1,200 universities in our country, and 50,000 colleges. So why are Indians going abroad? Let's first understand this question.

And then we'll talk about whether the dream of going abroad is worth it. The first reason is that Indian students want to escape the competition here. Gaurav Munjal, the co-founder of Unacademy, said that the exam system in India is like a tournament.

And he's right. Entering a good college in India is no less than winning a tournament. In 2023, NEET's UG exam was taken by 20 lakh people for 1,40,000 MBBS and dental seats.

That's a 7% admission rate. 11 lakh people competed for JEE mains for 17,000 seats in 23 IITs. That's a 4% acceptance rate.

UPSC prelims are taken by 10 lakh people, and only 1,000 people make it to the rank list. In India, these entrance exams work like a filter. Whoever passes this filter, gets a ready-made, tried-and-tested stamp for life.

You can use this branded stamp for jobs and marriages. Like a start-up founder from Hyderabad, Laxman Papineni, said that investors don't bet on ideas, but on entrepreneurs. If an entrepreneur is an IIT graduate, there's no need to worry.

Because after saying that you're an IIT graduate, you don't need to prove to anyone how hardworking or smart you are. Just saying that you're an IIT graduate is enough. Our society is so crazy about branding, that a separate website has been created for marriages.

IIT IIM matrimonial website. It's brand ambassador is Karan Johar. But the smartest people are not the IIT IIM graduates who are getting married through this website.

It's the founder of this website, who isn't from IIT. But he has created a business to earn money from these people. Those who don't pass this filter, are left with private colleges.

The problem in our country is that we don't have a middle class of colleges. Either colleges like IIT IIM, who are highly praised in our society. Or colleges whose condition is very bad.

To assess the quality of most Indian colleges, you can see the skills of an average Indian youth. What I'm about to tell you, will shock you. A test was conducted on 15-29 year olds.

The test found that most people can't even send an email with an attachment. In some states, only 20% of the youth can do this. Very few people know how to copy-paste.

And fewer people can install and configure software on their PCs. This is the future of our country. We're talking about AI and chatGPT.

But our youth can't even send an email with an attachment. So it's not surprising when a report says that only 7% of India's business graduates are employable. In another report, the numbers were better.

They showed that in all degrees, MBA and B. Com graduates are the most employable. But that report also says that 40% of such graduates are not employable.

After going to college, many B. Com graduates find out that their degree doesn't have much scope. They either have to do a CA, MBA, or a government job.

The condition of Indian engineering colleges is even worse. In some curriculums, they're taught what a floppy disk, printer, and keyboard are. Professor Prem Vrat, who was the former director of IIT Roorkee, said that there are many colleges being built in the country.

But they're all made-up. The focus of these colleges is to build good buildings. But they forget that good colleges need curriculum and faculty.

The regulatory body of engineering colleges, AICET, says that for good engineering education, the student-teacher ratio should be 15 to 1. But the average in the country is 28 to 1. While in some states, like Bihar, it's 68 to 1.

And in Jharkhand, it's 81 to 1. Former IIM Ahmedabad professor V. Raghunathan said that many colleges in India are actually a real estate racket.

Because politicians and builders are controlling these colleges. Brij Bhushan Singh, former wrestling president, who was accused of sexually harassing many female wrestlers, has his own 54 educational institutes. This is because many regulations are required to build a college.

Especially, to buy land. And it's easiest for the politicians to buy land in our country. In many non-technical courses, like BA courses, internships are not compulsory.

So, students don't get any practical skills. What would their situation be in the job market? So, in India, most students have only two options.

Either you win a tournament. Or you take the risk of going to a college where you won't be taught anything. If you want to get a job, you'll have to do it on your own.

The college won't help you. That's why many people go abroad. The Master's Union is trying to change this.

Last month, I met 5 of their undergrad students. But their initial perspective about the Master's Union was very different. Yashu told me that his father wasn't so sure about the college.

Krishna's brother was also wondering the same. Almost all these students were thinking of going abroad. Krishna got an admission in Boston's Babson College.

While Yashu and Bhargav were considering IIM Indore's IPM program. But it wasn't easy to go abroad due to finances. The Master's Union gives a degree from a UGC certified DU.

But these students chose this college for 3 more reasons. The first reason was the college's peer group. We all want to get students in the college who are diverse and ambitious like us.

The second important thing for them was access. Rohil's perspective changed when he attended a session of the CFO of OYO. Krishna got an opportunity to meet the Physicswalla team.

Students like Yashu who want to launch their own business after graduation liked the college's focus on practical skills. Many people's perspectives changed. Like Rohil's family was very happy with his experience.

Krishna's family may not be 100% convinced, but they trust his choices. If you want to be in their shoes, then apply for the Masters' Union's UG program. Round 2's deadline is 23rd February.

The link is in the description. Remember that it's pretty expensive, but scholarships are available for the right candidates. Now let's come back to our video.

But we also know that in our country, people are not just running after education, but they're looking for returns to education. Basically, how much money will you get? Most people want to study abroad so that they get the opportunity to earn more money.

A World Bank report shows that when Indians migrate inside their own country for work, their income increases by 40%. But when they go abroad, their income is increased by 120%. I know that some of you will argue about the cost of living.

We will discuss that later. Some people say that we are not only going abroad for income, but we are also getting a better professional work environment there. When I talked to a dentist, they said that in India, patients don't know oral hygiene.

They have to see such patients daily who make them feel disgusted. But when they practice dentistry in America, their patients know basic oral hygiene, and they get better pay. In a country like America, capitalism is so deep, that in many companies, employees are rewarded for their hard work.

Even if they look different. Like Satya Nadella or Sundar Pichai. "In India, it is expected that you will do overtime.

" "You will sit even after 9-5. " "You can get a call at night or on weekends. " "It is not like that in the US.

" Now, everyone's experience would not have been like this. But if you look at ILO's research, India was the 6th most hard-working country in the world. Every week, an Indian was working for 48 hours.

In India, the professional environment can be toxic. And in India, employees don't have many legal options. For many students, it is difficult to make a career in India.

Especially PhD students. People have to wait for years to publish a paper. Like Souvik Roy, who is a PhD scholar from IISER Kolkata, he said that people have to wait for 2 years to publish a paper.

And many hard-working students have to compete in an environment where cheating is very common. For Rs. 1000, Madhumita, a woman in West Bengal, will publish a research paper for you in a journal.

In social media channels like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram, you will get ready-made research papers. The third reason is quality of life. This is a subjective term in which we can talk about many things.

For example, air pollution. According to the University of Chicago, if you live in Delhi, on average, your life will be reduced by 12 years. This is 5 years for an average Indian.

Let me repeat again. On average, an Indian's life is reduced by 5 years due to air pollution. For others, quality of life means freedom of movement and freedom to varied lifestyles.

For others, noise pollution and cleanliness matter. "The biggest difference is population. " "There is less crowd and traffic.

" "I personally prefer a peaceful environment. " For others, it can be infrastructure. Quality of life is very subjective.

There can be some things that you find low-value but are very important for someone. For example, walking. Walking on footpaths in India is very difficult in many cities.

The footpath may be broken, there may be a cart, there may be street dogs, or there may be an accident with a car. This is not the case in many countries. People who value these things will say that going abroad is worth it.

And the last thing is status in society. The best market to test this status theory is the marriage market. In Punjab, the fascination for going abroad is so strong that 19-year-old women are getting married to 40-year-old men.

Why? Because 40-year-old men have money, and 19-year-old women have English-speaking skills which will help them pass the IELTS test and get a student visa to go abroad. Along with the student visa, they will also get a spouse visa which will allow them to take their 40-year-old husband abroad.

Such marriage deals are being made in Punjab. A man with money and a woman with English-speaking skills are getting married. This is why there is a reverse dowry.

In Telangana, foreign education is used to negotiate dowry. If the boy is educated abroad, the demand for dowry increases. If the girl is educated abroad, the demand for dowry decreases.

So, has everyone's dreams come true by going abroad? No. First of all, in many foreign countries, their economy is not growing, which is why it's not easy to get a job.

Syeda Zaidi went to Detroit in 2021 for her MS degree. But in July last year, she found herself in a miserable position on the streets of Chicago. "You even forgot your name?

" "My name is Minha. " News reports showed that she was depressed and helpless. When her video went viral on social media, her family requested the Ministry of External Affairs to bring her home.

And then the Indian consulate in Chicago gave her medical attention and food. Many Indian students who have gone abroad are trying to reduce their needs. Why?

Because they are not getting jobs. Vivek was a student in Canada where he learned cloud computing. But then he came back to India.

Because for more than 6 months, he tried to find a job. He didn't find a job. So, he started working in a supermarket.

But the salary there didn't cover his food expenses. A student from Bengaluru, Goku Shanti, who did her master's in cloud computing 550 people were waiting in line for 30 job openings outside a restaurant. Some students couldn't even find an unpaid internship.

You can find similar stories in rural India. For example, Charu's husband went to Australia spending 40 lakh rupees. He gave 14 lakh rupees to an agent.

But now he's back in his village because he couldn't find a job there. All this is happening because there's been an economic slowdown in all these countries after COVID-19. Companies say that because the global economy isn't doing well, their products and services aren't in high demand.

When revenue isn't increasing, they have to reduce their costs to make a profit. And a good way to reduce costs is to fire people and not hiring new people. This isn't just the case for small startups.

It's the case for big companies too. For example, Google fired many people from multiple teams. This is the case for Discord, Citi, Amazon, Twitch, Nike, UPS, and PayPal.

Many startups are in the same situation. In 2021, the FED, which is the central bank of the US, kept interest rates close to 0%. When interest rates are close to 0%, it means that taking a loan is free.

This is why companies were able to get a lot of money. When money is so cheap, many companies overhire. This is the case for many foreign companies.

Today, interest rates are not close to 0%, but 5. 5%. And money isn't cheap anymore.

That's why many startups are firing so that the money they have now can last for a long time. Many companies are getting positive signals from the market. When they fire their employees, their stock price increases.

And it becomes easier to fire when other companies are doing the same. That's why every company is following the trend. That's why Jeffrey Pfeffer, a Stanford professor, calls this a copycat behavior.

If every company is firing, why shouldn't I? I gave you examples of the American economy. But what's happening in the US is happening in Canada and the UK.

Where the economic growth of Western countries has stopped, India is being called the fastest-growing major economy in the world. In countries like the US, the problem is that not only is the job market bad, but inflation is also high. That's why many Indian students are trying to save money on basic things.

For the past few weeks, even if inflation is decreasing, it doesn't mean that the cost of living has improved. In areas like the Bay Area and New York, even if you get high salaries, the rental prices for a one-bedroom can be $2000-5000 per month. After 30-40% state and national tax, what's left for people in savings?

"What did you save ultimately? " "About $2500-3000. " "We keep hearing that someone bagged a high-income job.

. . " "Don't get misled.

" "You can live a better life with half the salary if you are in a more affordable place. " That's why many students have to work part-time to cover their expenses. After entering the job market, many students realize that the degree they got from their college has no value.

Like in the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that many UK universities are giving useless degrees. Tripti Maheshwari, who runs a job search portal for international students in the UK, says that UK universities sell many dreams to Indian students about employability. But many of these dreams don't come true.

This is the same story in Canada. Shrey, who did an MSc in Business Management from the UK in Sports Management, said that he didn't get a job in the UK. He said that the main reason for this is the college from where he got his degree.

Many students who go abroad realize that their college is actually a tier-2, tier-3 college whose degree has no value in the job market. Canada has a similar situation. Even if you get a job, another struggle starts.

Visa Struggle A friend of mine said that in California, there's no need to look for an Indian. Just close your eyes and listen to who's talking about the H-1B visa. The person who's talking about that visa is an Indian.

In America, students can work for a year after graduation on an OPT visa. If your degree is in the STEM field --Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, then you can get an extension of two years. But those who didn't have a STEM degree, don't get this extension.

Most Indian students do have a STEM degree. This means that they don't have a visa problem for at least 3 years. And after that, the fight for H1B starts.

Which is no less than the fight for IIT-JEE. H1B visa has a fixed number of 85,000 slots. This means that every year 85,000 people get a visa.

But 3. 5 lakh people apply for it. This is done through a lottery system.

And those who don't win the lottery, have to leave America and go back. And where there is an opportunity, scam businesses also start. One scam business that has started is that if you want an H1B visa, instead of one company, you can go to 3-4 fake companies who will apply for an H1B visa for you.

So that your chances of winning the lottery increases. What if you get a rejection from one company's visa? There are 4-5 other companies.

This is just one type of visa scam. Last year, Portland State University, an American university, whose name you might not have even heard of, received an international application from 46 Indian and Bangladeshi students. The staff there was shocked to see how they were getting so many applications from India and Bangladesh.

This application wasn't from those students. It was a scam. It's so difficult to get a visa appointment in India, that you have to wait for a year.

So now, a company has started in India, which submits fake student applications. And then uses those applications for an appointment for an American visa. When these companies get a visa appointment from an American embassy based on a fake student application, they sell this appointment to another student, a student who is more desperate for a visa appointment.

Imagine, someone in India is earning money by selling US embassy visa appointment slots. This is the same situation in Australia and Canada. After H1B visa, the next stage is the green card.

This is equivalent to permanent residence in the US. But the wait time for an Indian citizen is more than 100 years. So more than 4 lakh Indians will die before their green card arrives.

Those who don't even have such problems, have to deal with social anxiety and loneliness. "If you're someone who can't fit in, you'll feel like an outsider. " "And because of that, you'll feel very lonely.

" "This has happened to a lot of people. " "People have gone through depression and they feel like they want to go back. " Arun Patrick, who went to the UK in October 2020, said that he feels lonely a lot of times.

He says that living in the UK is like living in a box. You wake up, go to university, do a part-time job, and then come back home. The way many of us grew up in India, is very different from the American or UK culture.

This is why many Indian students feel very homesick and lonely. "There's a lot of loneliness here. " "Most of the students work here.

" "They don't have time to sit and interact with each other. " According to a study, homesickness is more common in Indian students than in other students. Because our culture is such.

There's a social interdependence in our families. This is not seen in the US or UK culture. The recent violent incidents have shown that there is no guarantee of safety in those countries.

Many American cities, be it New York or San Francisco, are facing major drug abuse and homelessness, which often leads to crime. Syed Mazhar Ali, a student at Indiana University, was brutally beaten up in Chicago. Varun Raj Pusha, another student, was killed by an American man in the gym.

Because the American man felt "threatened". Varun didn't do anything, but the American man felt threatened. This is why many Indian students want to come back.

They've realized that in other countries, even if life is easier outside the home, the life inside the home is better in India. Many people have luxuries like household help or a driver. But we need to realize that this isn't true for every Indian.

This story is mostly for India 1. People who are privileged and have access to such resources. India 1 or rich people, their market is booming.

Last year, Apple sold almost 10 million iPhones. Mercedes, a luxury car company, has recorded huge sales. This is why many American companies want to come to India instead of China.

Many Indians are optimistic about their future. And this optimism is like a drug. If you have positive and optimistic people around you, it gives you positive energy.

And this optimism is missing in many American and European countries. But this can't apply to everyone. Many students who have been admitted to top colleges abroad and have received good packages, are happy there.

Many students have also hoped that the global economy is not doing well now, but it will change in time. Every person has their own happiness equation. This equation has many different variables.

The importance of each variable is different for each person. The mistake we make is that we believe that everyone should have the same happiness equation. If I'm happy at work, everyone should work.

If I'm happy with marriage, everyone should get married. If I'm happy in India, everyone should live in India. But that's not true.

Everyone has their own equation and variables. This is why it's good to realize that everyone's decisions can be different.