Indian universities seek Emirati students

ABU DHABI // Some of India's most competitive universities have announced a drive to attract more Emirati students.

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai are accepting applications from Emiratis interested in earning degrees in medicine, pharmacy and engineering. The programme has been recruiting students from Africa and Europe for more than 20 years and Indian authorities are eager to extend it to Emiratis.

"The most important thing is that they should meet the eligibility criteria," said Sumathi Vasudev of the embassy. Students must have passed subjects including biology, chemistry and mathematics. Fees range from $3,000 to $6,000 (Dh11,000-Dh22,000) a year.

Fourteen institutions are accepting students, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi and the Sawai ManSingh Medical College in Jaipur. More than 10 branches of the National Institutes of Technology are accepting students to its engineering programme. Jamia Hamdard University in New Delhi is also accepting applicants.

Although the number of seats reserved for foreign students at Indian universities varies from institution to institution, the Indian government said last year that only five per cent were reserved for students from other countries.

The deadline for applications, which are available from diplomatic missions, is April 15.

sbhattacharya@thenational.ae