Indian students from the Kingdom and the rest of the world need time to settle into the system of Indian institutions when they return to India for higher studies, says K.V.L. Narsimhan, director of EdCIL (Educational Consultants India Limited), a nodal agency responsible for organizing admissions for international and Indian expatriate students.

Addressing an Indian higher education seminar at the International Indian School inaugurated by Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai on Saturday, Narsimhan said that Indian students from the Kingdom who gain admission into any institute of higher education need to adjust to the different environment in India. He said that both students and parents had to take this issue into consideration and be careful when planning for an undergraduate program in India.

“It is not just the wish to have your son or daughter become a doctor or engineer but also choosing the right institution with the right courses to fulfill these aims which makes a difference,” he said.

“Indian students from Saudi Arabia need to prepare for qualifying common entrance examinations if they wish to enrol in professional higher education courses in India,” Narsimhan said adding that qualifying the AEEE (All India Engineering Entrance Exam) common entrance examination with a good score would ensure admissions into the best engineering colleges in the country.

“Students should begin preparing from the 9th grade and make up their mind about which undergraduate course to take,” Narsimhan said. Both parents and students should begin thinking about enrollments, subjects, etc. from the month of March if they are going to seek admission in May, he added.

The director of the EdCIL said that most students opt for engineering and medical courses. While engineering has several branches, medicine has limited places in postgraduate studies and the competition is tough.

He encouraged students to explore other courses in science, economics or management related disciplines which offer good career oriented programs in India.

Narsimhan informed the audience that the government is planning to expand the present network of the prestigious NIITs (National Institute of Information Technology) to at least one in each state, and a total of 19 such institutions are planned to be established in the next few years.

He also said that the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) is the perfect venue for undergraduate science students who can go on to become research scholars in their chosen fields.

Many Indian parents send their children back to India after their Senior School Examination or 10+2 as it is commonly known because most expatriate parents cannot afford higher education in the Kingdom. It is commonly held that graduate or postgraduate studies in India will be good value for money, so most Indian parents opt to send their children home. However, after a long hiatus in the Kingdom (many children are born here) Indian students face numerous problems with adjusting to the new environment back home.