Study in India for foreigners. National Information Center. Free education in India

Most people believe that India is currently among the developing countries, which means that education is not given enough attention. In fact, this statement is fundamentally wrong. India has already got out of that unpleasant economic situation, and now the country's educational institutions provide the highest level of education. Many people know that this country has a rich historical heritage. Previously, India occupied a leading position in the educational services market. Then the country experienced a difficult period, which ended several decades ago. A lot of attention is paid to education in India, the state more than ever needs highly qualified specialists.

History of education

Speaking about education in this country, it is impossible to get around the topic of history. As you know, India was the largest cultural and educational center in the world. In 700 B.C. e. it was here that the first university was founded. In India, the foundation was laid for such serious sciences as algebra and trigonometry. Sanskrit was created on the territory of this country (ancient literary language), which became the basis of many other European languages.

The history of education in India is so diverse and vast that it would not take forever to study everything. This is where the art of navigation originated. Oddly enough, the word that now sounds like “navigation” came from there. In those days, it sounded "navgatih", which means "shipmanship" in translation.

Education in ancient india was considered the highest quality at that time. The local scholar Sridharacharya introduced the concept quadratic equations. Every year, discoveries were made, which today are a very valuable asset.

preschool education

It should be noted that kindergartens in our understanding do not exist in this country. In India, it is customary for the mother to sit with the child until a certain age and teach him. This tradition dates back to ancient times and is diligently performed.

However, recently, due to the fact that both parents are forced to work, there is simply no one to leave the child with. Therefore, certain groups began to be created at preparatory schools. They are divided according to the age of the children and the time spent in them pupils. Usually the kids spend several hours there, learning while playing with the teacher.

In most cases, if a child is in one of these groups, he goes to the school at which it was created. Then parents do not need to waste their time choosing an educational institution. Pre-school education in India is represented only by these groups, which are far from being attended by all children.

Schools

The country has a law that determines that all citizens, regardless of social status must complete a basic secondary education. There are a number of free public schools, but it is still recommended to send your child to a private institution. This is due to the quality of education, the level of which is much higher in prestigious schools. The cost of such pleasure will be approximately $ 100 per month.

The education system in India is built in such a way that the completion of 10 classes is mandatory. Children enter school at the age of 4 and are trained until the age of 14. Then those who decide to continue their education go to high school for 2 years.

A feature of private institutions is the emphasis on knowledge of languages. They teach not only Hindi, but also English. Moreover, after graduation, the child is fluent in both languages.

Higher education in India

There are 3 stages in this country higher education: bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies. The duration of training directly depends on the chosen specialty. So, if you want to become an expert in the field of trade, you will have to study for three years. And the period of study when obtaining a specialty in the field of medicine or Agriculture is four years. To enter a higher educational institution for any of the programs, you must have a certificate of complete secondary education. After completing a bachelor's degree, there is an opportunity to study at a master's degree.

The most popular majors in universities in India are information Technology, management, jewelry and pharmacology. For local residents, training can be free. As for foreign students, they are provided with a budget only if they have a grant. The price of education, compared to European universities, is low. To study at the most prestigious institution of higher education, you need to pay 15,000 dollars a year. Distance education has become very popular here.

The best universities in the country

India ranks third in the world in terms of the number of higher educational institutions, there are more than 200 institutions, where about six million people study. Each university has its own peculiarity that distinguishes it from others. Education in India is reaching a new level precisely because of the uniqueness of the institutions.

One of the oldest universities is Nalanda University. It was founded in the fifth century AD. e. Reconstruction has recently taken place, and until 2020, 7 faculties will function there. Rajasthan University trains the best specialists in the field of agriculture.

One of the leading universities in India is the University named after M. Gandhi. This university has the best teachers. Here you can get a specialty in the following programs: medicine, physics, chemistry, nanotechnology, philosophy, etc. The level of education in India is quite high thanks to such educational institutions.

How is the educational process going?

The main feature of education in this country is teaching on English language. Almost all educational institutions in India use this language to communicate with students. To enter any of the universities, you need to know English well. There are no schools and universities where they teach in Russian in India.

The academic year begins here not in September, but in July. Moreover, each educational institution chooses the start date of the semester (from July 1 to July 20). Holidays for Indian students fall in May and June, which are the hottest months of the year. As for uniforms, girls always wear Long Dresses and guys can wear a shirt or tank top with shorts.

How can a foreigner enter a university?

To become a student of one of the higher educational institutions in India, you must have a certificate of complete secondary education. It should be noted that the certificate of the Russian sample is equated to the Indian one. That is, you do not need to take additional courses, with the exception of English. A document confirming knowledge of the most popular language in the world is a prerequisite for admission to the bachelor's degree.

To become a master, you need to provide a certificate of complete secondary education and a bachelor's degree. The only condition for all documents is that they must be translated into English, and copies certified by a notary. There is no practice of entrance examinations, only some educational institutions arrange additional tests.

Scholarships and grants

Until recently, only local residents could receive free education in India. However, due to the increase in the level of popularity of universities, this opportunity is now available to foreigners. In order to take part in the competition, you must fill out an application. Every year, leading universities in India allocate several state-funded places for foreign citizens. The Council for Cultural Relations organizes the whole thing.

Grants are provided for various specialties. Anyone can apply, maybe it is he who is lucky enough to become a student of one of the Indian universities.

Citizens of Russia and the CIS countries can get free education in India with the help of government funding programs. The most popular among them is ITEC. This program offers training in budgetary basis federal university of India in one of the specialties: "management", "banking" or "public relations". At the same time, as part of this offer, the student is paid a scholarship of $ 100 per month. Plus, free accommodation in a hotel or hostel is provided.

Living conditions for students

It should be noted that, despite the high level of education in India, living here is not so easy. This is due to the differences in conditions to which we are accustomed. For example, if you take food, you will not find the usual meat, bread or dairy products. In India there is only poultry and cakes. Pharmacies do not sell iodine and other conventional medicines.

WITH road traffic there are also problems here. Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings are installed only in largest cities. On the streets you can see a lot of poor and dirty people. Those who consider themselves squeamish will not be able to live in India.

Job prospects after graduation

To put it bluntly, finding a job for an international student who does not have Indian citizenship is incredibly difficult, almost impossible. The situation in the country at the moment is such that about 500 specialists of the highest category, who are fluent in Hindi and English, apply for one vacancy. A foreigner who is unlikely to know the local language well, clearly loses against their background.

In fact, the only chance is to prove yourself during your studies as a talented and responsible student. Large enterprises cooperate with universities and do not miss out on truly competent specialists, including foreigners. Therefore, you need to show your best side if you want to stay in the country.

In this article, we briefly reviewed education in India. Now everyone can draw a conclusion for themselves and form an opinion about the level of education in this state.

The education system in modern India, on the one hand, is constantly being improved in accordance with the latest innovative developments in education, and on the other hand, it is rooted in the depths of centuries, in the tradition shishya guru the transfer of knowledge from teacher to student.

According to the Hindu concept of the four stages of life, ashrams, apprenticeship period, brahmacharya, was one of the main stages human life, without the proper implementation of which a person simply could not take place in life and fulfill his destiny.

In those located at monasteries or directly at the teacher's house, guru ancient Indian schools called gurukula, high-born students studied the basics of Hinduism and philosophy, Ayurveda and astrology for free, memorized huge passages from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, got acquainted with Sanskrit classical literature and the art of government, and also acquired weapons skills. It was believed that the guru gives his disciples a second birth, and therefore he should be revered on an equal footing with his father and mother. At the end of the course, students were required to guru-dakshina, a rite of gratitude to the teacher, which could consist both in the offering of valuable gifts or money to the guru, and in the unquestioning execution of his will.

The system of universities also developed in ancient India, among which educational institutions in Takshashila (Taksila) (according to some dates, 5th century BC, now belongs to Pakistan) and Nalanda University on the territory of modern Bihar (5th century BC) can be distinguished. AD).

The difficult history of India could not but affect educational traditions. And today, along with secular, public and private, paid and free schools, there are a large number of religious educational institutions that can be located at temples or separately - Hindu ashrams, Muslim madrasah, Sikh gurudwar, Christian boarding houses. During the British rule in India, the British system of education, both school and higher, became widespread, the active introduction of which in the 1830s. Lord Thomas Bebington Macaulay began. Nobel Prize in Literature, received by Rabindranath Tagore in 1913, allowed the great poet to turn the school he had previously founded for peasant children in Shantineketan into India's first free university, which still operates to this day.

The education system in independent India consists of three main levels - primary (compulsory for everyone, covers children 6-14 years old), secondary (passing compulsory exams is divided into two levels, 2 and 2+, covers children 14-18 years old) and higher. The main tasks facing government bodies controlling the education system is the universal distribution of primary education, the availability of education for representatives of all social strata, regardless of gender, as well as improving the quality of primary and secondary education. There is an opportunity to receive education both in one of the state and regional languages, which also extends to education in a number of universities - most often, those that work not at the federal level, but at the state level.

In terms of the number of universities and the prevalence of higher education, India ranks 3rd in the world after the USA and China. Many Indian universities are world famous - Indian Institute of Technologies (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI), Allahabad Agricultural Institute (new name Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technologies and Sciences Allahabad, AAIDU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), etc.

Apart from full-time education, many universities in India offer distance learning (both at the level of individual special courses, and at the level of obtaining a full-fledged higher education), including for foreign students. Distance programs also exist on the basis of several universities at once, united specifically to prepare such programs (for example, joint distance programs under the brand name "Virtual University" (Virtual University) are at the universities of Madras, Calcutta and Mumbai).

Education at a university for Indians can be both paid and free, which may depend not only on the level of preparation (there are a number of free universities and places, students who have received highest scores, can automatically receive scholarships for education), but sometimes also on the origin of the student (a system of quotas for places for representatives of various social groups, regtons, tribes, etc. has been developed).

Among foreigners, Indian universities enjoy a long and well-deserved popularity. Traditionally, many students come to study in India from neighboring countries of South Asia, as well as from the African continent. Students from all over the world traditionally go to study in India in a number of areas in which India occupies a leading position in the world (primarily in the fields of information and innovative technologies). This is largely facilitated by a well-thought-out policy in the field of higher education - teaching in English, international diplomas, reasonable prices for studying and living in the country.

Entry requirements for foreigners can vary greatly depending on the particular institution or course chosen, however, almost all major federal universities offer programs for international students at the bachelor's degree (B.A.), master's degree (MA), and often postgraduate education (M .Phil., PhD., etc.). A system of short-term trainings in specific specializations and summer schools has also been developed. In some cases, foreign students also have the opportunity to receive a scholarship for study, both directly from the university, and from private or public funds. All information about these numerous opportunities can be found on the websites of the universities of interest.

There are also government funding programs for studying in India for foreigners who work on a competitive basis. The main coordinator of such programs around the world is the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR). In Russia, information about existing programs, requirements for candidates, as well as the timing of competitions can also be found on the website of the Embassy of the Republic of India in the Russian Federation. At the same time, potential students are provided with the widest range of opportunities to receive grants - both for a full-fledged course of study (ICCR scholarship), and for short-term courses for retraining or advanced training in specific specialties under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Program (ITEC program). The ICCR grant competition takes place annually, usually in winter, and you can apply for an ITEC scholarship several times a year.

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As a former colony of Great Britain, India inherited the English system of education. Children start school at the age of four. Education in India is often English-speaking. Compulsory secondary education takes place in two stages - the first stage lasts ten years, the second takes two years. Then they study for three years either at school, preparing to enter a higher educational institution, or at a vocational college, which provides secondary specialized education. In India, special schools of crafts have been opened, where students for eight or ten years acquire a useful profession, such as a locksmith or mechanic, or a seamstress.

Higher education in India is conducted according to the Bologna system. Three to five years students study for a bachelor's degree, then another two years for a master's degree and three years for a doctoral degree. Indian universities are numerous, each with its own specialization and teaching methods. Some institutions of higher education offer subspecialties such as foreign language or music.

Foreigners who reside in India can enroll their children in either a public or commercial school. The educational process is in English. Children must pass an interview when they enter the school. Payment in a public school is low and amounts to about a hundred dollars a month. Commercial schools are more expensive, but the educational process in them is more exciting and of high quality. Children's meals are included in the price.

It is not difficult for a foreign child to continue studying at an Indian university. Higher education institutions in India are accepted without entrance exams.

A large number of foreign youth come to Indian universities as part of a student exchange or for an internship. An applicant can come and receive higher education in India himself. Educational institutions in India are represented by private universities, local, which are under the leadership of the state, and centralized, which are subordinate to the state. There are no representative offices of foreign universities in India. Foreign citizens pay about fifteen thousand dollars a year for study.

Speaking about education in India, it should be noted that it is quite high level. The country produces high-class pharmacists and jewelers. Quite often, citizens of other countries come to India to learn English.

Hostels are provided for overseas students. But those who wish can also settle in an Indian family, which will give the visitor private room. Such accommodation will help a foreigner to join the Indian culture and life, to quickly get used to the new environment. In general, the cost of living in India is much less than in the CIS countries. Given the various expenses, a student in India will need up to two hundred and fifty dollars a month. In addition, university students can receive state scholarships or grants. This is more likely for those whose specialty is in contact with Indian culture, art or religion.

As for getting a second higher education in India, this can be done completely free of charge. All you need is relevant work experience, as well as participation in a specific program of the Indian government. To learn more about the conditions for obtaining free education, you can refer to the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Ministry of Education.

Arriving to get an education in India, it will be quite difficult for a foreigner to get comfortable in an unusual environment. Firstly, the food in this country is quite different from what we are used to in our homeland. Of the meat products in India, only poultry is eaten. Instead of bread, which is an integral part of our diet, flatbread is accepted in India. There are no dairy products here. There are no common medicines for Europeans either. With regard to traffic, traffic lights in India are available only in large cities, but not everywhere. The Indian streets are full of the poor, often professional beggars work among them. As for hygiene standards, it should be said that lovers of cleanliness will have a hard time here.

Since India has a huge number public holidays, then studies are often interrupted - the process of getting an education in India is not intensive. As for language barrier, then visiting students will have to communicate in English. Learning Hindi is difficult, and by and large, it makes no sense, since there are over eight hundred dialects of this language in the country. For convenience and mutual understanding, you can learn the most popular phrases in the state language of India.

Of course, we will not consider those very colorful and stereotypical educational institutions located in especially remote corners of the country, which are hard to look at without tears. The educational path that is open to every foreign child and to those whose parents are ready to spend a certain amount on the development of their child will be taken as the basis, because even in public schools and universities you will have to pay.

This cannot be denied, because this is not just an ingrained stereotype, but in India there are indeed quite big difficulties with education. This happens not only due to poverty and severe economic situation but also, although only in part, the mentality of some residents.

Although it is undeniable that after a large-scale education reform, the primary level of education has become available to the vast majority of children, the quality of these schools leaves much to be desired. In addition, about 50% of children do not master the subsequent stages of education because of their high cost and the lack of time for children who are sometimes busy at work.

However, all these obvious shortcomings are not absolute, since in India you can find an educational institution that will give your child an education no worse than in the most successful European countries.

What should a preschooler do?

To begin with, it should be noted that there are no kindergartens in our and European understanding in India at all. This is the tradition of this country, which has developed over the millennia, where mothers are supposed to sit with their children until a certain age, teaching them through the efforts of the entire large family.

However, due to the fact that over the past decades it is not uncommon for both parents to work, and it is not at all possible to place a child with relatives, special groups have arisen that work with preparatory school(pre-school). Here, children are separated by age and the time of the alleged stay away from their parents. As a rule, several hours with the teacher are spent in educational games, during which the kids learn not only the basics of the world, but also English and Indian languages.

It often happens that after parents choose a particular group for their child, they no longer think about choosing a school. This is because after completing the next age level in such "kindergartens", you can simply continue your child's education in the main school. However, it is not uncommon for parents to carefully consider the choice of a school educational institution in a separate order.

What are the features of the Indian school?

Despite the fact that primary education in India has recently become public, many advise focusing on choosing a school for a child at private schools or especially prestigious public schools (the cost of education in which averages about $ 100 per month), which will have to be additionally searched. The thing is that not in all Indian educational institutions you can get a quality education in good conditions.
Private schools are distinguished by the fact that they very often emphasize the equally good assimilation of not only indian language(Hindi) and the language of the state, but also English, which, years later, children consider almost a second native. Subsequently, children, depending on how diligently they studied, will be able to speak fluently in three languages ​​at once. Also, they use different approaches to raising children and presenting knowledge and material, which may be of interest to people who prefer innovative methods.

You will be pleasantly surprised, but in absolutely every school in India, regardless of its status and prestige, children are fed at school. The set of food is standard for everyone, it is rice with a bottle of water and masala. In some establishments, products may vary.

Once you have chosen the school that suits your child, you will need to book a seat in advance by paying an advance deposit in the form of a reservation and start preparing all the necessary documents.

We go to higher or Indian institutions

In total, there are about 220 higher education institutions in the country, 16 of which are central. Of these, Nalanda University, established in the 5th century AD, stands out in particular. e., which has its own specific flavor and long history.

It is worth noting that in India you can find not simple profile universities, but those whose otherness and specificity are especially pronounced. For example, in Indira Kala Sangith, which is located in Hairagarh, they are introduced only to Indian music, and in Calcutta, Rabindra Bharati, students do not study anything other than the Bengali language and Tagore studies.

The largest and most prestigious universities in India are the Gandhi University, Rajasthan, Bombay, Mumbai and Calcutta. They continue for many years to remain quite popular not only for the local population, but also among some foreigners.

IN last years technical professions have become especially popular, as the growth of students and graduates of engineering specialties is especially noticeable. What is important, in a country with such a progression, the demand for specialists of this profile is growing, since they are simply necessary for the developing economy of the country.
The very system of Indian education, due to a long joint history, is completely identical to the British one. There are also three levels that are mastered by students in the learning process. On each of them (Bachelor, Master or Doctor of Science), you can complete your education with a corresponding diploma.

Despite the fact that India has a rather nasty reputation in European countries, which, unfortunately, is not only based on stereotypes, it is a developing country. Here, the economy and productivity are growing rapidly, and every year people are increasingly striving for knowledge by any means. Yes, getting back on your feet at the moment here may not be easy, but it is possible, and especially for those children whose families have the finances to do so.