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The Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh told the Lok Sabha that as students studying abroad on self-finance programmes are not required to register with Government of India, the data with regard to the total number of Indian students studying in European countries, including in Russia, is not available.
Replying to a question by Shri P. Rajendran, Sh. Tufani Saroj & Sh. Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, the Minister further added that the European Union has earmarked a budget of Euro 33 million under the India Window of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Programame for the period 2005-2009. It is projected that 920 students would be able to avail of this facility for undertaking higher studies at selected European institutions/universities of repute. Government of India and the European Commission are expected to negotiate the Financing Agreement for this Programme, which would, inter-alia, set out modalities for selection of students.
All countries which offer and award scholarships under bilateral programmes facilitate grant of visa to the selected students, Shri Inderjit Singh informed the House.
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