Post pandemic, city students queue up for foreign education

Ludhiana: The Covid pandemic seems to have enhanced students’ interest in foreign education. According to election commission figures, the population of people above the age of 18 in Ludhiana is 28,67,524. As per the reply to an RTI query, for every 10,000 persons in Ludhiana, 164 get work and study visas to different countries.
Harjot Singh Thind, head, sales and operations at IDP Branch in Feroze Gandhi Market said, “The trend of students going abroad is increasing every year. Students have to start preparation and research when they are in Class XII or the last year of bachelors. They have to get a conditional letter from universities or colleges as deadlines are generally tight. Else, they will end up wasting six months to one year just for the offer letter from the university. Making a decision in advance will save their time.”
He added that besides entrance exams like SAT, GRE and GMAT to get scholarships, other important parameters included academic performances, strong SOP, participation in extracurricular activities and sports. He advised students to learn other languages like French.
These days many markets running IELTS institutes, immigration experts and student counsellors are flooded with student queries. Talking to TOI, immigration expert Jaskirat Singh Chauhan said, “The main reason Indian students join foreign universities is because they get an education with better job opportunities. The quality of education is better abroad. Secondly, they get exposure to a different culture. Finally, foreign degrees are more accepted in Indian universities. Having a degree from an internationally recognised institution enhances chances of getting into a top institution.” He added that still, Indian universities do not fare as well as Canadian, American, and European universities in global rankings.
Parents too are interested in sending their children abroad.
Karamjit Kaur, mother of Komal, who has opted for higher education in Canada, said, “My child has joined a foreign college for her career and interest. It becomes easy if they study there. The life of a student is very tough and we have taken a loan. There is also a lot of competition for work but once they find a job, everything will be fine.
Sachin, a student of second year Bachelor's in mass communication from Punjab College of Technical Education (PCTE), who plans to go abroad said, “I believe it's not majorly about the quality but about the various fields that universities and colleges offer. While India has many accredited universities, they rarely offer a field that isn't mainstream. If you have a look at the courses universities abroad offer, there are so many, from wine journalism to chemical and biomolecular engineering."
Rahul Vishwakarma, a city resident, worked in the IT sector before quitting. He now plans to go abroad. “There are not many job opportunities in Punjab as no IT company is settled and we have to look for job opportunities in Noida, Banglore, Mumbai for good salaries. However, we still do not get security. I was working as a software developer and was laid off from my job during the Covid pandemic."