The turbulence in the US’s policies for international students has significant implications for the higher Education Dreams of Indian Students. For years, the United States has been the first choice for Indians dreaming of studying abroad. Top universities, great job opportunities, and the American lifestyle have attracted lakhs of Indian students to enrol in the US education ecosystem.

However, the situation today is contrastingly different. Under President Donald Trump’s second term, the policy framework has been altered in a significant manner. Strict visa rules have been applied, job options have shrunk, and overall costs have risen exponentially. Collectively, these changes have made a big dent in the popularity of the US education system and made the country a less attractive destination for Indian students.

Dwindling Visa Numbers

One of the biggest problems Indian students face is getting a student visa (called the F-1 visa). In 2023, over 130,000 Indian students got these visas, and the number dropped to around 86,000 in 2024. The reason behind this drop is the stricter visa policies adopted by the U.S. government of late. The verification checks have been hardened, with many Indian students claiming their visas have been revoked even after arriving in the US. This has caused quite a panic and uncertainty among families.

Decreasing Work Opportunities

International students in the US can apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) after their graduation. It lets them stay in the country for a year (or up to three years for STEM students) to work and gain experience. This is very important because it helps students recover the high costs of studying abroad and find permanent jobs. However, under Trump’s leadership, new rules are being framed that make it harder to apply. Some new laws are even proposing to tax OPT earnings, making it less attractive for employers to hire international students. This means many Indian students who want to work in the U.S. after graduation may have to leave sooner than planned.

Harder H1B Visa Rules

The H‑1B visa is used by American companies to hire skilled workers from other countries, especially in technology. Many Indian students rely on this visa to stay and work in the U.S. after finishing OPT. But the Trump administration wants to put a leash on it as well. There are new rules requiring companies to pay higher salaries and stricter checks, which may reduce the number of Indian workers getting H-1Bs. Politicians have also made statements about ending H-1B visas for Indian workers, which has created fear among Indian students planning long-term careers in the U.S.

Rising Living Costs

Studying in the US has always been expensive, but now it’s getting even higher. University fees are rising, and coupled with a loss in Rupee value, U.S. education could become more expensive going forward. Since many Indian students take loans to study abroad, this creates a huge financial burden. The uncertainty due to Trump’s policies is adding to the financial fear, leading many to withdraw their plans or redirect to other countries.

Psychological Stress

All uncertainties mentioned above have created a lot of mental pressure. Students are reconsidering whether to work part-time jobs, as it might affect their visa status. There are also apprehensions while travelling outside the US because students fear they may not be allowed back in. Equally worried are students’ parents in India, as they fear that their lifelong savings might prove unproductive.

Rise of Alternative Destinations

As the U.S. becomes harder to access, Indian students are exploring Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, and France to pursue their higher education. These countries offer more student-friendly policies along with an affordable cost structure to academics. Students get easier access to jobs here after graduation and can enjoy better work rights too. In comparison to the current US scenario, these alternative destinations emerge as more viable alternatives.

Conclusion

The US has remained the top destination for Indian students for many years. However, the recent policies under Donald Trump might change the scenario. With stricter visa rules and spiralling costs, the American Dream is becoming less attractive. While some still find it worthwhile, a majority is flocking to alternative countries to pursue their higher education. For now, the US is rapidly falling off the choice list of Indian students, and it will take considerable effort for US lawmakers to regain the trust of Indians and bring them back to the US universities.

Authored by: Kalpesh Banker, Managing Partner at EduShine Search Partner

Isha Ambani, Director of Reliance Industries Limited, emphasized the pivotal role of girls entering STEM fields for India’s advancement.

Isha Ambani, Director at Reliance Industries Limited, emphasized the importance of increasing female participation in STEM fields and choosing technology careers for India’s advancement. Addressing virtually on the occasion of ‘Girls in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Day India 2024’, she said if “we are to build the India of our dream, technology will be our driving force, and both men and women in Science and Technology must fire on all cylinders.”

She asserted that in the ever-evolving landscape of the technology industry, the under-representation of women in the workforce is a debilitating reality. “The gender gap does not only signify gender bias, but it is also a hurdle in the path of innovation.”

Closing this divide is a strategic imperative, necessary for the industry’s, as well as the society’s, holistic growth, she said.

While women make up 36 per cent of India’s tech workforce, their presence drops drastically as one starts looking up the corporate hierarchy. For instance, she asserted that only 7 per cent women held executive-level positions; only 13 per cent were working in director-level roles; and a mere 17 per cent held mid-managerial positions.

Citing NASSCOM data, Isha Ambani said only 36 per cent of India’s tech workforce are women.

Then, citing World Bank data, she said that women make up 43 per cent of the total STEM graduates in India, but account for only 14 per cent of all scientists, engineers, and technologists.

“Even the new-age start-up ecosystem is grappling with the problem of dismal participation of women. Limited access to funding and resources for female-led start-ups and businesses continues to contribute to the under-representation of women in leadership roles.”

Women are no less suited to be leaders and change-makers than men, she noted.

Responding to the increasing demand for skilled personnel in the aviation industry, the state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI) has announced plans to offer training programs in airport infrastructure, operations, and air navigation services. AAI chairman Sanjeev Kumar revealed in an internal communication that memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been signed with nearly 100 educational institutions located within a radius of 25-40 km of AAI airports across the country.

The training programs are designed to provide students with practical knowledge and hands-on experience in various areas of airport management. They will include 2-5 day visits, workshops, and internships ranging from 4 to 20 weeks in duration. These initiatives aim to equip students with skills relevant to the aviation industry, covering fields such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and other domains.

Participants will gain insights into air traffic flow management, airport operation services, communication, navigation, surveillance, engineering, air traffic management, architecture, finance, fire services, and human resource management, among other areas. The training program will be open to students pursuing graduation, post-graduation, or professional degree courses from educational institutions near AAI airports.

Experts view this initiative as a significant step towards nurturing quality aviation talent in India, particularly amidst the expansion plans of Indian airlines and the government’s efforts to establish multiple aviation hubs across the country. With over 1,600 aircraft in the pipeline for Indian airlines, the demand for skilled professionals in the aviation sector is expected to rise significantly in the coming years.

The training program aligns with the broader trend of partnerships between airlines, airports, and educational institutions to address the growing demand for aviation talent. While airlines like IndiGo and Air India are investing in large-scale training academies for pilots and cabin crew, aviation giants such as Airbus and Boeing are also exploring opportunities to contribute to the development of the aviation ecosystem.

In March, Airbus signed a contract with the Indian Institute of Management in Mumbai (IIM Mumbai) to provide aviation education to professionals. The collaboration aims to equip aspiring and working professionals with industry-ready skills through short-term aviation courses covering areas such as aviation logistics, supply chain management, operations excellence, cargo handling, strategic procurement, business analytics, and digitization.

The demand for air travel in India has been steadily increasing, with airlines carrying a record number of passengers in 2023, totalling 152 million passengers. This represents a 23% increase compared to 2022 and more than a 5% rise compared to pre-COVID levels in 2019.

India’s air traffic has exhibited significant growth, recording a remarkable 147% increase between 2013 and 2023. Overall, the AAI’s initiative to provide training programs in collaboration with educational institutions underscores the importance of investing in talent development to support the growth and sustainability of the aviation industry in India.

According to the Oxford International’s Student Global Mobility Index (SGMI), the United States remains the top destination for Indian students pursuing higher education abroad, despite concerns about affordability, safety, and security. The survey-based study reveals that 69% of Indian students prefer the US, followed by the UK at 54%, Canada at 43%, and Australia at 27%. The quality of education and the reputation of universities are cited as top reasons for Indian students choosing a country for higher education.

In the US, 45% of students value the quality of education, while 42% appreciate the reputation of its universities. Conversely, in the UK, 59% focus on the quality of education, and 61% on the reputation of institutions. This highlights the importance of educational standards and institutional prestige in attracting international students.

The SGMI survey reveals that parents and guardians play a significant role in the decision-making process, with 71% of Indian students citing them as the main influencers. This trend is consistent among students from other countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam. Additionally, 44% of Indian students also consider their closest friends as influential.

While affordability is a concern, 28% of Indian students choose the UK due to its reasonable course fees. However, scholarship opportunities significantly influence destination choices, with 34% of all surveyed students preferring Australia for its scholarships, followed by Canada, the UK, and the US.

The study highlights the role of higher education agents in providing information to students. 35% of Indian students engage with such agents when deciding on courses and universities. This indicates the importance of intermediary sources in facilitating the decision-making process for international students.

Despite concerns about affordability, safety, and security, the US remains the preferred destination for a majority of Indian students planning to study abroad. The quality of education, reputation of universities, and influence of parents and guardians play crucial roles in shaping their decisions. Additionally, affordability and scholarship opportunities also impact destination choices.

In a pioneering move towards integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the education sector, the Kerala government has announced a comprehensive three-day training program for over 80,000 state secondary school teachers. Scheduled to commence from May 2, the initiative is spearheaded by the Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) with a vision to equip teachers with essential AI expertise by August 2024.

The program aims to empower teachers of classes 8 to 12 with hands-on training in AI techniques tailored to enhance teaching and learning experiences. According to a press release, the training will cover a wide array of AI applications, including summarization techniques for simplifying complex documents in various formats such as PDFs, images, and videos. Teachers will be trained to generate concise summaries while retaining crucial information and even creating new content using AI tools.

Additionally, the training curriculum includes sessions on image generation techniques, enabling teachers to create and edit subject-specific visuals, transform them into cartoons or paintings, and integrate text seamlessly. Prompt Engineering and Machine Learning segments will offer insights into formulating precise prompts essential for effective AI tool utilization and understanding programming mechanisms.

Through data visualization exercises, teachers will explore the potential of AI in creating presentations and animations, along with customizing tables, graphs, and charts to cater to specific educational requirements. The training will also focus on AI techniques for assessment purposes, empowering teachers to design various question formats, including unit tests, thereby enhancing the evaluation process.

K Anvar Sadath, Chief Executive Officer of KITE, highlighted the program’s objective to foster a culture of responsible AI usage and mitigate potential risks associated with AI. Teachers will engage in activities aimed at creating their avatars to gain insights into concepts like deepfakes, privacy concerns, and algorithm bias.

According to WFP reports, an alarming 1.2 million women are now grappling with malnutrition across the country.

The United Nations World Food Programme in Afghanistan has issued a warning concerning the escalating malnutrition rates among women and children in the country. The report emphasizes that over the past three years, malnutrition admissions in Kabul have tripled. The UN agency noted that Afghanistan’s malnutrition situation is deteriorating, attributed in part to reduced humanitarian supplies reaching the nation. The UN agency stated that the situation is getting “worse” in Afghanistan due to the increase in malnutrition. One of the main causes of the rise in malnutrition in Afghanistan has reportedly been the decrease in humanitarian supplies to the nation.

According to Mishro, a nurse at a malnutrition ward, the mental and psychological health of women has declined over the last two years, and the number of malnutrition cases in Afghanistan has been rising. She underlined that there is not enough room for these patients and that undernourished moms have contributed to their children’s malnourishment. “For women who are malnourished, the situation is not good in 50 per cent of cases,” she continued.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme has also highlighted the rise in the number of malnourished women in the nation. This occurs at the same time that human rights organizations are becoming increasingly concerned about Afghanistan’s rising rates of poverty and malnutrition, particularly among women.

Afghan people have been leaving their homes because of poverty, insecurity, and conflicts in the country. Moreover, Afghanistan’s women have faced numerous challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Taliban leaders have also disregarded international calls for women and girls to be given access to education and employment. Apparently, they have also issued warnings to other nations not to meddle in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs.