Foreign Students Might Get A Chance to Write JEE, GATE Exams

If you are a foreign student and have always dreamt of getting admission in one of the IITs, then this news might excite you. HRD Ministry of India is likely to introduce a new scheme, whereby foreign students will be allowed to take IIT entrance exams like JEE Main, JEE Advanced and GATE.

The Indian government is planning to conduct IIT Joint Entrance Exam (IIT JEE) in 10 other countries including the seven SAARC nations (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives), UAE, Ethiopia and Singapore from the next year onwards.

The govt. is aiming to magnet more international talent through this scheme that will boost international rankings.

To have an idea of the impact of the scheme, the government has authorized IIT Mumbai to anchor the necessary information material including details of the tests, the courses and FAQs. Apparently, the fee applicable in the case of foreign students will be more, as the subsidised fee which Indians pay would not be applicable to them.

However, seats to be offered to the foreign students would either be supernumerary or additional in nature and would not reduce quota of seats for Indian students  at 18 IITs. Also, research visa will possibly be given to the foreign students for the duration of the programme. The Indian security establishment still needs to approve for this foreign IIT scheme.