The HRD ministry conducted the first ever Indian Scholastic Assessment (Ind-SAT) Test 2020 under its ‘Study in India’ programme on July 22. 

Nearly 5,000 candidates from Nepal, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Zambia, Indonesia and Mauritius appeared for the exam conducted in the proctored internet mode by the National Testing Agency. 

EdCIL (India) Limited, under the HRD ministry and the implementing agency of ‘Study in India’, handled the registrations and other aspects of the examination.

What is the Ind-SAT exam?

Ind-SAT is an exam for grant of scholarships and admissions to foreign students for studying in select Indian universities under ‘Study in India’  programme.  

The Ind-SAT scores will serve as a criterion to shortlist the meritorious students for the allocation of scholarships for undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes under ‘Study in India’ programme.

The exam was held in 12 countries on a pilot basis this year. There are plans to extend this to other countries in the future.

What is the ‘Study in India’ programme?

‘Study in India’ is a programme of the HRD ministry under which foreign students come to study in 116 select higher education institutions in India for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. 

About top 2,000 students are given scholarships, while some others are given fee discounts by the institutions. Around 780 students had taken admission under the programme during its first year in 2018-19. In the second year this number rose to about 3,200.

As per the existing government framework, provision of 10-15 per cent supernumerary seats for foreign students is there. 

The programme focuses on attracting international students from select 30 plus countries across South-East Asia, Middle East and Africa. 

The programme envisages participation of select reputed Indian institutes/universities by way of offering seats for the international students at affordable rates, along with fee waivers to meritorious foreign students ranging from 100 per cent to 25 per cent. 

Objectives of Study in India:

* To improve the soft power of India with focus on the neighbouring countries and use it as a tool in diplomacy.

* To boost the number of inbound international students in India.

* To double India’s market share of global education exports from less than 1 per cent to 2 per cent.

* Increase in contribution of international students in the form of direct spends, indirect spends, spillover effects.

* Improvement in overall quality of higher education.

* Increase in global ranking of India as an educational destination.

* To reduce the export–import imbalance in the number of international students.

* Growth of India’s global market share of international students.

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