Study Abroad News & Alerts

Saudi Arabia has introduced its much awaited study in Saudi Arabia program to attract international students and make it easier for them to study in the country. The programme has been unveiled with an intention of making Saudi Arabia an international hub for education. Under this programme, the kingdom will be streamlining the process of Visa application and making it smoother for students from around the world to apply for a student Visa. A study in Saudi Arabia platform will be released where students will be able to find all the necessary information related to short-term courses, long-term courses and scholarships. In recent times, the universities of Saudi Arabia have worked a lot on their interest, structure and the faculty. Currently professors from 170 different countries of the world are teaching across multiple institutes in Saudi Arabia. All of these steps have been consciously taken to improve the quality of education being given to international students in Saudi Arabia.

IIM Kashipur is inviting candidates to apply for its MBA and analytics program. The institute is accepting both CAT and GMAT. Candidates can apply for the programme till 7 March, 2024. All the interested candidates can visit the official website of IIM Kashipur to submit their application forms. For general candidates, it is compulsory to have scored at least 50% in their bachelors degree to be eligible for the program. There is a requirement of at least 47% in bachelors for EWS candidates and for SC and ST candidates it is 45%. The institute will not accept CAT or GMAT scores for the exam that was taken before 1 May, 2024. The course that is offered by the institute is a blend of analytics as well as managerial principles that will be taught to all the candidates during the span of two years. The highest package that was received by a student from the similar cost was Rs.37 lakhs in the previous year.

The British Council has partnered with different universities in the UK to offer scholarships to the women in STEM. The scholarships will cover everything from tuition fees to accommodation and even travel fees. selected students will also get a monthly stipend for their miscellaneous expenses. A total 25 scholarships will be given to women from India and other SouthEast Asian nations. Currently the scholarship will only be given to students who want to pursue a Masters degree. An additional financial support will be provided in case a dependent accompanies the selected student to the UK. The scholarship will be given for different disciplines like data science, pharmaceutical science, computer science, mechanical engineering, civil engineering and actuarial sciences.

Students from open schools of CBSE will now be able to appear for the NEET. In a recent verdict that has been passed by the Supreme Court of India, students from open schools that are recognised by CBSE and state boards will now be able to take the NEET. This is a sigh of relief for many students as it has been a controversial topic for many years now. NEET which is a pan India medical exam is considered as one of the most difficult exams in the country. Students are able to get into the top medical institutes of the country through the aid of this exam. A previous rule passed by the Medical Council of India barred students from open schools to appear for NEET. This rule was challenged in 2018 at the Delhi High Court as most students and parents considered it unconstitutional. Now almost 6 years later, a final decision has been made which is in the favour of students.

Students who want to pursue a teaching course from a foreign university have an opportunity. The University of Hull is inviting candidates from around the world to apply for itstwo years honours degree. The university is offering BA honours in primary teaching studies. The application process for the same has already started and it will go on until 31st August, 2024. Candidates pursuing the degree will learn different things like public policy, education theory and various techniques for teaching students. The university is advising all the candidates to apply as soon as possible so that they have the time to apply for a visa and also look for proper accommodation. Any Indian students applying for the program must have scored at least 70% marks in their class 12th board exams. The university has also released a minimum cut-off list for students who have studied from state boards.

UGC is all set to give an autonomous status to 8 universities in India including Delhi University and Central University of Rajasthan. The other universities that are a part of this list include the University of Hyderabad, Central Sanskrit University, Central University of Himachal Pradesh and Central University of Punjab. Some universities have been granted autonomy under category 1 whereas the others have been granted autonomy under category 2. Some of these universities have got an autonomous status for the first time, whereas the other universities have shifted categories. The status has been awarded to these universities on the basis of various parametres like academics, infrastructure, faculty, and others. To apply for an autonomous status by UGC, a university has to be at least 10 years old. Having an autonomous status gives the university the right to take all their financial, infrastructural and academic decisions by themselves.

IIT Guwahati has signed an MoU with universities from Japan and Canada to strengthen its academic collaborations. The institute is aiming to provide more opportunities to its students through the aid of these collaborations. It has signed an agreement with the Dalhousie University of Canada. This collaboration will offer a joint doctoral program to students. Students from both the institutions will be able to work on joint research programmes. Students will be able to also spend a semester or to study abroad through the student exchange program facilitated by the collaboration. The other agreement has been signed with Gifu University. This collaboration will focus on a Joint PhD program which will last for three years. It will be a comprehensive study experience that will be offered to students jointly by the two institutes involved. 

Recently CBSE announced that from 2024 onwards, board exams for class 10th and 12th will be conducted in open book mode. Listen to be done to reduce the level of stress among board aspirants. Following this, the Maharashtra State board has also announced to conduct open book exams. The officials from the Maharashtra State board have announced that first, a proper plan will be formulated. A certain pattern has to be analysed as per the number of schools. Initially only selected subjects will be conducted in open book format for class 9th to 12th. Assessing the performance of students, it will be further decided if the policy is worth implementing or not. A lot of other state boards are also considering to follow CBSE in terms of implementing the open book exam strategy. However, the relevance of this strategy is not yet scrutinised. So it will be initially implemented in pilot mode in selected schools only.

Australia has been a top study abroad destination for Indian students for many years. However, for the past few months, the visa rejection rates from Australia for Indian students has been on the rise. Post pandemic, on an average one lakh Indian students have been going to Australia for higher education every year. As for the country, there has been a significant surge in the number of students coming to the country every year. To tackle this immigration search, Australia has asked all the universities to select only genuine students. 

Many universities in Australia have not been accepting applications from Indian students and rejecting them without giving any proper explanation. While many universities have not given any explanation regarding the rising rejection rate, Indian students certainly believe that it is on the rise. It is being believed that the annual intake of Australia for international students will fall to 2,50,000 annually from the previous 3,75,000. In this case students are concerned and doubtful regarding applying for Australian universities.

NTA has finally released the answer key for JEE Mains paper two. Paper to that was organised for Bachelors in Architecture and Bachelors in Planning was organised on 24th January,2024. The paper two had a maximum weightage of 400. The syllabus for both these papers was different. But mathematics and aptitude was the common section for both exams. 

Students can download the answer key from the official website of JEE. Previously, the provisional answer key for the paper was released on 9th February, 2024. The final answer key has now been released after considering all the objections. Now no objections will be accepted.

UGC has already directed the universities to start offering four years long graduation programmes. But now students who have already enrolled for a three year long graduation programme will get the opportunity to transition smoothly into a four year graduation program. UGC has directed universities to offer a bridge program that might be conducted in online or off-line mode. This bridge program will help in facilitating the smooth transition of students from a three-year graduation program to a four year graduation program. The policy of a four year long graduation program is in line with the NEP 2020. It is the responsibility of respective universities to raise awareness regarding this opportunity among students who have already enrolled themselves in three year long graduation programs. 

For the longest time, Canada was considered as a top study abroad destination for Indian students. However, in recent times there has been a difference of opinions as Canada has introduced a lot of unexpected policies related to immigration. Students get up to 2 years after completing their education in Canada to explore various opportunities. It is very important to make the best use of this time as it can make or break one's career. During this time, the most important thing for an international student is to make a strong network. Also, students should think beyond academics during this time in focus towards a more holistic development. It is extremely important to focus on the development of one's skills rather than theoretical knowledge. doing a lot of other courses, side-by-side in different fields enhances one's profile.

As per the NTA tentative calendar for CUET, CUET UG 2024 exams will be conducted between 15th May, 2024 to 31st May, 2024. However, as per the latest reports, the CUET UG dates are going to be altered. These adjustments will have to be made because of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India. To make sure that the examination process remains undisturbed, UGC is going to realtor the dates for CUET UG. The chairman of UGC has already hinted towards a possible shift in the dates of the exam.

The chairman has said that all the changes will be made once a proper schedule for the elections has been announced. Taking a look at the election schedule, UGC will be altering the dates. It is important for students to check the changes related to the schedule as increase or decrease in the days may impact their preparation strategy.

NTA has extended the deadline for JEE Mains session 2. Initially candidates could only register themselves till 2nd March, 2024 but now the deadline has been extended to 4th March, 2024. The application deadline for fee payment is 11:50 PM on 4th March, 2024. Any application or fee payment will not be accepted after this time. The opportunity is both for fresh candidates and for the ones who have already appeared for the session 1 exam and wish to apply for the session 2 as well.

To register themselves, students have to visit the official website of JEE and click on the registration link. The examination result for the session 1 exams has already been released.

The registration process for NEET UG is going to end on 9th March, 2024. All the interested candidates must register themselves as soon as possible as after 9th March nobody will be able to register themselves. The exam is set to be organised on 5th May, 2024. The result is all set to be released by 14th June, 2024. All the students who are interested in taking admission in MBBS and BDS courses in the top medical institutes of the country have to take this exam. Even the students who want to study abroad for a degree in medicine have to take the exam. Students must fill the application form before the deadline as after the deadline is over, nobody will be able to register themselves. If any student has made a mistake while registration, then NTA will soon open the correction window through which students will be able to make corrections. 

Every international student wants a scholarship that can relieve the burden of financial stress on them and their parents. Indian students are offered a number of scholarships from around the world that can alleviate their financial burden. Here are some top scholarships for Indian students provided by the Indian government and other countries.

NITI Internship Scheme

The scholarship is offered by NITI Aayog for undergraduate and postgraduate students who want to pursue internships from foreign universities. To be eligible, the student must have scored at least 85% in the class 12th exams.

• Chevening Scholarship 

 Chevening scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships that is offered by the UK government to students from selected territories. It gives the opportunity to students to study in the topmost institutes of the UK.

• Fulbright Nehru Master's Scholarship 

This scholarship is specially for students who have exceptional academic achievements. Anyone who wants to avail this scholarship must have a minimum working experience of three years.

• National Overseas Scholarship Scheme For SC

This scholarship has been started by the Ministry of justice and social empowerment for the subjugated sections of society. The scheme offers financial support for PhD students

The government of Telangana is inviting candidates from around the world to apply for its overseas scholarships for SC students. All the students who have an annual family income of INR 5 lakhs or less are eligible for the scholarship. students can apply for the scholarship till 31st March, 2024. The scholarship will be given to students who have already been accepted from universities that are in countries like the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, and some others. Selected students will get a grant of INR 20 lakhs or some more as per the acceptance letter. The student will also be given one way airfare to travel to the destination. It is compulsory for the applicant to be below 35 years of age and have a minimum score of 60% in their graduation or post-graduation. Candidates also have to take the TOEFL or IELTS.

Many students and parents have reported several issues related to the registration of CUET UG 2024. Candidates are facing problems related to identification number, ABC column, and also the list of the universities. Many aspirants have also claimed that Delhi University is not even in the list of the universities that candidates can select. A lot of students are also facing problems related to the academic bank of credits. Since most of the students have just passed or are yet to pass from their school, they're having a problem while understanding how to sell the phone. There are no proper guidelines related to the ABC column. Students have also not been provided with a drop down option while selecting different options. Many students have complained that Delhi University is not even in the list while selecting universities. This is causing a lot of problems for students who want to register themselves timely. CUET is yet to solve or release the response related to any of these problems. 

As per the NEP 2020, the Ministry of Education has made it compulsory for all the class one students to be at least six years old at the time of admission in schools. The ministry has also urged all the states and union territories to follow this rule and implement it on all the authorised schools as soon as possible. As per NEP 2020, the age of 3 to 6 is the age of early childhood during which the pattern of education is very different. Only after the age of six, does a child get mentally fit enough to comply with the normal standards of education. The government is trying to adopt a different approach as compare to the conventional 10+ 2 pattern that has been followed in the country for many years.

The registration for NEET UG is going to end on 9th March, 2024. NTA is soon going to open the correction window for students who want to edit any information that has been filled in by them in the registration form. This year, the NEET exam for UG courses is going to be organised on the 5th May, 2024. The exam is going to be organised in 13 different languages. Candidates should submit their applications as soon as they can before the registration window closes. 

To make any corrections in the application form, candidates have to wait till the correction window opens for students. Any editing or change in their application form is not going to be entertained through post on email. Candidates have to make the change through the website by themselves. All the particulars must be chosen very carefully and candidates must carefully upload their documents.