It’s destination US for 12th graders

NEW DELHI: Anindya Dutta, with an aggregate of 96 per cent in his Class XII CBSE examinations, is planning to head to the UK for an engineering degree. His father, T K Dutta, says that the reason is simple. "We don���t find any opportunities for our children in this country," he says.
This may not be an option for all, but parents fear that soon, it could be the only one available.Figures provided by the British High Commission and the US embassy reveal, that in the last five years (2000-05), the number of students going abroad has recorded a phenomenal increase.
The number of student visas issued by the US has gone up from 54,554 in 2000-2001 to 80,466 in 2004-05 ��� an increase of almost 60 per cent that has rated India as the top sending country to the US.
Though this year���s data is yet to be tabulated, experts at the United States Education Foundation of India (USEFI) say that the graph is only set to rise. Interestingly, there has also been a huge increase in the number of undergraduates going to the US. Of the total number, the percentage of undergrads has risen from 17per cent in 2003-04 to 20.4per cent in 2004-05.
The story is similar for UK, where the numbers have gone up from a modest 6,817 in 2001-02 to 16,300 in 2005-06. What is also interesting, is that the number of undergraduate students opting for a foreign degree, has increased. "While earlier, most of the students going to the UK were graduates, in the last couple of years, the number of undergrads heading to the UK are 18-20per cent of the total students there," says Ruchika Castellino, student advisor, British High Commission.
She points out that one of the primary reasons for students heading to foreign shores is the lack of opportunities in higher education in India. "Seats in reputed colleges are already limited and things are getting increasingly competitive. So students who are bright and have the means are increasingly opting for foreign shores," she adds.
And it is at this time ��� just after the CBSE results and during the DU admission rush ��� that the maximum number of kids come inquiring about foreign degrees, she says.
According to Vijaya Khandavalli, USEFI education advisor, foreign education has become more accessible. "Students are more focussed about their career ��� want professional degrees and are open to options," she says.
There is a huge range of subjects to choose from ��� some of the popular choices are : biotechnology, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, immunology or animation and web design. "There is a lot of money involved, but students realise that they will get the returns on them," adds Khandavalli.