As a country located in Asia defined by agooddir, India covers an area of over 3.2 million square kilometers in the South Asian subcontinent of the same name. The seventh largest state in the world stretches from the Kashmir Mountains in the extreme north and the Himalayas in the northeast to Cape Komorin, the southern tip of the country jutting out into the Indian Ocean. The Arabian Sea to the west and the Bay of Bengal to the east form natural boundaries. Studying in India means the future location for technology and IT.
India at a glance
Due to the size of the country, there are strong climatic differences in India: the north with its high mountains is rather cool, while in the south there is a tropical and hot climate and in the interior there is a continental steppe and high mountain climate. The ideal travel time for the south is from October to March, in the north it is from April to June. From July to September, the weather is determined by the summer monsoon. These heavy rainfalls are followed by months of extreme drought.
Population of India
With a population of 1.2 billion, India is the second most populous country in the world after China. The former British colony has been independent since 1947 and forms a Federal Parliamentary Republic in the two-chamber system of lower and upper houses. It has 28 states and six union territories. The capital is New Delhi in the north with around 13.8 million inhabitants.
Due to the long colonial era, both Hindi and English are the official languages, and 21 regional languages are recognized. The language of administration, teaching and business is usually English, and in Indian cities, official traffic and information signs are usually printed in two languages.
Economy and culture in India
The Indian economy is growing strongly at 8.5 percent per year. Still, India is a developing country and the gap between a few super-rich and numerous poor people is considerable. It is estimated that around 35 percent of Indians are illiterate and around 70 percent of the population live in more or less extreme poverty. At the same time, the urban middle class in India is growing rapidly.
The maintenance and preservation of traditional culture plays an important role for the Indians. The state is nevertheless secular, that is, state and religion are clearly separated from each other. Over 80 percent of the population are Hindus and around 13 percent Muslim. Society is still structured conservatively, patriarchally and hierarchically according to caste. In rural areas in particular, people live strictly according to the old caste system, which decides on social interaction and the choice of profession and partner. Access to education – starting with primary education through to university qualification – is still dependent on it today.
Studying abroad in India is worthwhile simply because it gives deep insights into an economically booming state that at the same time attaches great importance to traditional values. India is already playing an important role on the world economic market and, according to numerous forecasts, will continue to gain in importance in the future. During a longer stay in the country, students can gain important experience for the professional world. You benefit from the open-mindedness that is lived in India, the specialist knowledge and the British university culture.
Study abroad in India: the requirements
Applicants for an Indian university must have successfully attended school for twelve years, which for Germans is equivalent to the Abitur. A bachelor’s degree, usually with a minimum grade, is required for access to a master’s course. For admission to a Master of Philosophy postgraduate course, very good degrees in the Master of Arts or Master of Science are mandatory.
Applicants for the Indian Institutes of Technology must take the Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering (GATE) or the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE). On average, only two out of a hundred candidates get a place at these elite universities. The Indian Institutes of Management also require a corresponding test to be taken: The Common Admission Test (CAT). The colleges require a minimum score on the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEE).
Costs and financing options
In India, universities charge tuition fees. They can vary considerably depending on the university, subject and type of degree. The spectrum ranges from the equivalent of around 200 to 10,000 euros per semester. Practice-oriented subjects such as engineering and medicine are more expensive than courses in the humanities, for example. According to the wording of the cultural agreement concluded between Germany and India, Germans at Indian universities should be exempt from tuition fees. However, it is advisable to find out about possible tuition fees at the university of your choice before applying.
The cost of living in India is lower than in Germany. However, depending on the chosen standard of living and, depending on the region, they vary greatly. Expenditure of the equivalent of 200 to 400 euros per month can be expected. Indian foods are very cheap. Nevertheless, you should consider certain things when consuming food: You should only boil water or drink it from sealed bottles and you always have to peel and boil the food.
The universities offer accommodation in student dormitories. Due to the large number of visitors, it is advisable to apply for a place at the Foreign Student Advisory Bureau in good time. Otherwise you will find accommodation in private host families or in shared apartments. A small rental apartment in the city costs the equivalent of around EUR 75-150 per month.
In order to keep the financial burden within reasonable limits, there are various financing options: On the one hand, the federal government covers study, travel and living costs for one year to varying degrees through the BAföG abroad. In addition, there are various public and private foundations from politics, business and culture that grant (partial) scholarships.
Visa and entry requirements of India
The need for India stay student visa is online to request and with an additional printed version and two passport photographs. The letter of admission from an authorized Indian university and the payment of a one-time fee of around 92 euros must also be presented. The student visa is valid for one to five years and allows multiple entries to India. If you are staying for more than six months, you must report to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office within the first two weeks after entering the country. You should definitely take out health insurance for your studies in India.
Traveling in India is cheap, but not exactly stress-free. Public transport, rental cars and roads are usually in poor condition and the driving style takes some getting used to. Certain parts of the country such as Kashmir, Ladakh and Manipur should not be visited for safety reasons.
You should also observe certain rules in human interaction: kissing and exchanging caresses in public hurt the feeling of shame of the locals. The Indians eat with their hands, but only with their right, “clean” hand. Cutlery is usually offered to foreigners.
