Study Abroad News & Alerts

Banaras Hindu University is one of the top universities in India. It is also one of the oldest universities in the country and has been offering multiple degree programmes to students for many years. Now the university has decided to introduce four new scholarships for chemistry and Law students. The university will be using a donation of Rs.20,00,000 to start dispersing the scholarship. 

For the chemistry scholarship, one scholarship each will be given to 1st year BSc chemistry and first year MSc chemistry. Both these scholarships are only for female students. For the law scholarship, one female student will be selected from the first year BA LLB and first year LLM program.This scholarship will support the selected students financially and cover their tuition fees of studying in the university. 

The results for CAT 2023 have been officially announced by IIM Lucknow. All the students who appeared for the exam can check their results on the official website of CAT. This year 14 students have managed to achieve 100 percentile in the exam. 11 out of these 14 students hold an engineering degree. Similarly, out of 29 students who scored 99.99 percentile, 22 are from an engineering background and the rest from other academic backgrounds. The dominance of engineers in the CAT is very well known. Every year a good number of engineers are among the top scorers of CAT. This is the reason why most of the top management institutions in the country released a separate cut off list for engineering students to give them admission. Now that the official scorecard has been released by IIM Lucknow, all the premium management institutions of the country will start with their admission process.

This year, the first session of JEE Mains will be conducted in January. The exam will be conducted in different slots and students will be allotted their respective examination dates and centres in the admit card. The registration for the JEE mains January slot has already been concluded. This year 33% of the total candidates who registered for the exam are females. This is more than the 2023 average that was 30.8%. Around 4,06,486 female students have registered for the January slot this year. In 2023, only 3,57,545 students registered for the exam. In 2020, only 2,90,000 female students registered for the January slot. Looking at the previous year data, we can see that there has been a significant improvement in the participation of female students. Many engineering colleges in the country have taken active steps towards making all the colleges gender diverse. Also 20% minimum seat quota for female students in NIT's have also led to a significant improvement in the participation of female students.

Australia is a very famous study abroad destination. However, it is also an expensive country when it comes to pursuing higher education and managing your own expenses. Let's have a look at some of the most suitable part-time jobs that you can opt for while staying in Australia as an international student.

1. Working in hospitality or food services

Australia is a very popular tourist destination. Every year thousands of people visit Australia, which is why the tourism industry in the country is always profitable. There are plenty of jobs that you can find in this industry and it also comes with a lot of extra tips.

2. Tutoring

There are a lot of tutoring opportunities for international students. You can simply take online classes and get paid per hour. You don't even have to go to another place to take these classes.

3. Delivery services

Delivering food parcels or shopping parcels is another great part time job opportunity. The only setback is that you will need a transportation vehicle for the same.

4. Babysitting

Babysitting is another high paying part-time job opportunity. Most of the people in Australia are working professionals, which is why they need people to look after their babies. This job includes looking after the baby and taking care of their food requirements. 

5. Gardening

This is a great part-time job opportunity for students who like staying outdoors among nature and greenery. If you like gardening and have done it before then this is a suitable job for you. 

Studying in the UK is very expensive as an international student. But a lot of universities in the UK offer generous scholarships to international students. The government also grants ample scholarships to international students. Let's have a look at some scholarship but you can apply for if you want to study in the UK

1. Chevening Scholarship
2. Commonwealth Scholarship
3. GREAT Scholarship
4. Rhodes Scholarship
5. Erasmus Mundus Scholarship 
6. Felix Scholarship
7. Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship
8. Clarendon Fund Scholarship
9. GATES Cambridge Scholarship
10. Reach Oxford Scholarship

The UK government has proposed a new immigration law in which immigrants who want to sponsor their family members like spouse, or children will need to show a minimum family income of £38,700 annually. The Prime Minister of the UK, Mr Rishi Sunak has said that this change will be implemented in stages. It will be fully implemented by the beginning of 2025. For 2024, the government has decided to make the minimum financial requirement for family visas £28,900 annually.

The government has said that any international immigrant who wants to settle their family in the UK must be able to support them financially. This is the reason why the minimum financial requirement for a family visa has been raised. This will help in decreasing the financial pressure on the already existing taxpayers.

IIT Madras has launched seven new online programs that are absolutely free for students. All these courses are being offered in the field of sports sciences and students do not need to submit their JEE marks to get admission into these courses. Students can register for these courses on the official website of IIT Madras without paying any tuition fees. These courses are designed with a very comprehensive module that is aimed to bridge the gap between theory and practicality.

The courses are tailored keeping in mind the Indian and South Asian education system. IIT Madras has launched these courses in collaboration with the National Programme On Technology Enhanced Learning. These courses will target the sports centric needs of the changing India.

Canada is all set to put a restriction on the number of international students who will be able to come to the country. The country has already raised the minimum financial requirements and made it C$20,635. This was previously just C$10,000. Other than this, there is also a buzz that Canada will most likely put a restriction on the number of international students coming to the country annually. This is because in 2023 Canada like a lot of other famous study abroad destinations has offered a record breaking number of visas to international students. 

This has led to a part-time job crisis and also unavailability of accommodation for international students. There has been a rise in both the inflation and unemployment rate in Canada in 2023. Also more than 70% of the students who come to Canada for higher education register themselves in diploma courses. These are short-term courses that let students stay in Canada and also give them after study work permits. To change this scenario, Canada might soon introduce a lot of new laws. 

CBSE has released its date sheet for class 10th and 12th board exams. Students have now geared up for the preparation as only a little time is left for the exams. One of the biggest challenges that students face while giving their board exams is running short on time. Here are some tips for you to save your time while giving your board exams and make sure that you attempt all the questions.

1. Read the question paper thoroughly in the 15 minutes of reading time that will be given to you. Most students do not read the question paper and just simply look at it and waste these 15 minutes. These 15 minutes are very critical as you can decide all the questions that you should appear. Also, in case you cannot clearly remember the answer of any question, this time can be used to re-collect all the information that you might have read.
2. You can also create a mind map regarding all the things that you would like to include in theory questions. Always make sure that you write exactly what is asked and not anything extra. This will not only save your time but also help you score better.
3. Use very clear and concise language. Do not try to use extremely difficult words. Try to keep your answer short and precise. Precise and crisp answers are always preferred by board examinations.
4. Draw diagrams and tables for a better representation of data. Instead of writing a long theory, take the help of pointers, diagrams and table charts. It will help in saving your time and also make your answer look very attractive.

Chinese students have retained their position being the largest group of international students in the US in 2023 as well. The State Department of US offered six lakhs student visas to international students in 2023. This has been the highest number of student visas issued since 2017. 2,89,526 student visas were offered to Chinese students in 2023. There has been a decrease of 560 student visas as compared to the previous year.

In 2023, Chinese students were the largest group of international students studying in the US, maintaining their previous record. The United States of America has been consciously working to reduce the waiting time in the student visa category. The Department of State has said that they're actively trying to also work on the visitor visa category which has been overlooked because of other visa categories.

IIM Lucknow has finally released the scorecard for CAT 2023. Students can download the respective score cards from the official website of IIM CAT. This year 14 students have managed to score 100 percentile. 2,88,000 students appeared for the exam out of the 3,28,000 students who registered. The attendance percentage was 88% for 2023. The CAT 2023 will be only applicable until the next CAT 2024 exam. The score of the CAT exam is used by the top management institutes in the country to give admission to students in management courses.

Following the release of the result, all the top management institutions in the country will start with their admission process. The weightage given to CAT scores depends from institution to institution. 

If you are preparing to give your IELTS any time soon, then here are some tips that will help you score well in your writing section.

1. Improve your vocabulary as much as you can. Try to learn new words on a regular basis. Having a vast vocabulary while giving an English proficiency exam is always beneficial.
2. Attempt all the questions without any hesitation and always stick to the word limit that has been given in the question paper.
3. Always make sure that you are writing correct English and not making grammatical errors.
4. You will only have a limited time to attempt your writing section to make sure that you complete everything within the given time. Practice writing essays at home under time constraints.
5. Learn all formats of writing. This includes formal and informal. Try to read as many examples as possible that will help you in understanding the difference of tone between these two.
6. Practise regularly and with consistency.
7. Always give a proper structure to your answer. Even if you write really well, structureless articles or answers are not at all appealing for the examination checker. 

University of Birmingham has announced a special scholarship for Indian students who would like to study at the university for the coming academic year. A scholarship worth £1 million is waiting for international students. These will be awarded to students with strong academic background, extra curricular activities and other significant achievements. The scholarships will be awarded to students taking admission in different disciplines like physical sciences, arts and humanities, Law, earth and environmental sciences, computer science and business. 20 outstanding scholarships worth £5000 will be given to selected students. 

The India Chancellor scholarship that is worth £4000 will be given to 15 students and an unlimited number of scholarships worth £2000 will be given to students who are considered worthy of the scholarship. This is a great initiative by the university and will be really helpful for international students who want to study at the University of Birmingham

More than 10,000 Indians living in the US with H1B visas will be participating in the pilot domestic visa renewal program. This program will allow 20,000 H1B visa holders to renew their visa while living in the US. Right now, the Department of State has not clarified whether it will be just for the principal applicant or for dependents as well. It is being expected that initially the programme will only be meant for the principal applicants. But Indian visa holders are optimistic that the domestic visa renewal programme will also cover dependents. 

H1B visa holders from Canada are also eligible to apply for the domestic visa renewal programme. This program is meant for skilled individuals who want to work in the US underskilled employment.

CBSE has cancelled the affiliation of 25 schools in Manipur ahead of board exams because of lack of documents. The state government initially informed CBSE about the 25 schools and the fact that an NOC had not been issued to the schools regarding their establishment as well. It is illegal for schools to operate in a particular state without getting an NOC from the state government. Now after inspection, these 25 schools are no longer affiliated to CBSE.

A notice has been issued by both the state government of Manipur and CBSE regarding the same. Any school that doesn't hold all the legal documents required to set up a school will not be allowed to have their affiliation. The Manipur government is on a track to target such schools that have been operating in fraudulent ways and not following the correct measures of operating a school.

If you are planning to study abroad in 2024 and still contemplating the destination. Then here are five reasons why you must choose to study in France in 2024.

1. Top universities

France has a lot of top ranking universities like Sorbonne University, University of Paris and Ecole Polytechnique. All of these universities have a number of courses that they offer to international students.

2. Healthcare and life sciences

France has a well-established health care system and a lot of courses that it offers to international students. There is also a growing need for healthcare professionals in France. So if you choose to study a healthcare degree from France then rest assured as you will have plenty of options when it comes to jobs.

3. Tuition Fees

The tuition fees at French universities, comparatively lower than a lot of top ranking colleges and universities in the rest of the world. Also you will get a lot of general scholarships and grants.

4. Quality of education

French universities have experienced and well educated faculties. Most of the courses are taught in English so you won't have to face any language barrier.

5. Safe 

France is a very safe country for international students. Also, it is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and you will have a great time studying there.

 We already know that the UK government has introduced a set of rules regarding immigration that will be implemented from 2024 onwards. One of the major rules that has been introduced by the UK government is that students will no longer be able to bring dependents with them from 2024 onwards. Only PhD and research students will be able to bring dependents with them. The other rules that the UK government is planning to implement is the inability to convert your student visa into a skilled worker visa before formally completing your education. This means that students will first have to complete their education after which they will have to submit the documents. It is only after the immigration department approves the documents, the student will get the opportunity to stay back in the country. In some cases, students might have to go back to the country and then come to the UK again under the work visa category.

The Australian government has confused people with its latest decision to bring down the maximum age limit for the temporary graduate visa route. This was earlier 50 years and has now been reduced to 35 years. All the people who are planning to shift to Australia are extremely confused right now. The international immigrants already staying in Australia are skeptical whether the policy will be applicable to them or not. 

The Australian government has clarified that the reason behind introducing this rule is to attract employable and skilled candidates who can contribute to the overall economy of the country. Many people come to Australia through a visitor visa and then later on enrol in short-term diploma courses or programs to get a study visa. Students are now exploring other visa routes that are much simpler to avoid confusion.

GATE 2024 will be released by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore on 3rd January, 2024. All the candidates who have registered for the exam will be able to download their admit card from the official website of GATE with the help of their ID and password. The option to download the admit card will be available on the homepage of the website. It is compulsory for candidates to carry a hard copy of their admit cards along with themselves to be able to give the examination.

The examination will be conducted in different shifts from 3, 4, 10, and 11 February. Students will be allotted various examination centres and time slots for their test. GATE is a very important exam in India for students who want to get into Masters level programmes in the top engineering institutes of the country like IITs and NITs.

Canada is all set to introduce a new citizenship path for immigrants that are currently living in Canada without any legal documents. As per estimation, somewhere between 3,00,000 to 6,00,00 people are currently living in Canada without valid documents. This puts them under the danger of being deported anytime soon. The immigration minister of Canada, Marc Miller has said that Canada will be introducing a comprehensive plan to help these people who are living in Canada but do not have the legal permit for the same. 

This initiative aligns with Canada’s goal to welcome five lakh immigrants every year by 2025. Immigration has led to higher prosperity in Canada. This program will cover people who came to Canada without proper documents and also people who came to Canada with proper documents but now their visa has expired and they're still living in the country. This program will initially only be open to people who have just recently come to the country without documents or their work permit has recently expired. It will not cover all the illegal immigrants as of now.