Banaras Hindu University has once again proved to be among the most preferred Indian institutions for international students seeking higher education.
The university has registered a total of 312 international students for the academic session 2023-24. This is the first time international admissions in BHU have crossed the 300 mark. With this, the number of international students currently enrolled in the university has reached 734 (from 49 countries), also an all-time high.
The break up
Of the new admissions, 172 students have enrolled in undergraduate programmes, 112 for postgraduate courses, while 16 students are enrolled in PhD programmes of the university. As many as 12 students have taken admission in certificate or diploma courses. Among the fresh entrants, 253 are in the self-financed category, while 49 are Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR)-sponsored candidates. Four students have secured admission through EdCIL (consultancy and project management public service undertaking under the Ministry of Education) while six have been facilitated by the Study in India programme.
The highest number of new entrants is from Nepal, with 155 students enrolling in various programmes. As many as 85 students from Bangladesh, 11 from Sri Lanka and 10 from Myanmar have made their way to BHU. In total, students from 30 countries have enrolled in different courses at the university.
The spike in these enrollments is a result of the varsity’s efforts to attract more international students. Vice-Chancellor Prof Sudhir Kumar Jain said that BHU has been laying a greater focus on enhancing student amenities on campus. “We have been able to significantly increase the hostel accommodation for international students. Scholarship for international students is also helping in BHU’s international outreach”, said Prof. Jain.
At present, Banaras Hindu University offers accommodation to nearly 600 international students. The under-construction new international girls hostel will offer an additional capacity of 400. The university has also made the admission process for international students very smooth and hassle-free. Its International Centre is constantly endeavouring to respond to the queries and address the challenges faced by applicants as well as students.
Prof SVS Raju, Coordinator, International Centre, informed that this year the varsity has entered into an understanding with EdCIL and SII initiatives of the Government of India. This is facilitating greater participation from foreign nationals in the admission process of BHU.
The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 puts a greater emphasis on the internationalisation of Indian institutions of higher education. Banaras Hindu University has taken a series of measures in line with the objectives of NEP 2020, which have resulted in greater enrolment of international students.
