by Umaima Reshi
SRINAGAR: Despite India witnessing a steady increase in students going abroad for higher education over recent years, Jammu and Kashmir continues to contribute only a small fraction to this growing national trend. According to data provided by the Ministry of External Affairs in response to a question in the Lok Sabha in March 2021, Jammu and Kashmir ranked among the bottom ten regions in terms of the number of students leaving the country for studies between 2016 and 2020.
The data, drawn from passport issuance records since domicile-based tracking is not maintained, shows that just 32,203 students from Jammu and Kashmir travelled abroad for educational purposes over the five years. The annual numbers gradually rose from 3,203 in 2016 to a peak of 9,150 in 2019, before falling sharply to 4,275 in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. In 2018, 8,036 students had gone abroad, while in 2017, the figure stood at 6,067.
When compared to other major Indian states, the gap becomes striking. Punjab, for instance, sent over 2.56 lakh students abroad in the same five years, while Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh each accounted for more than 2.4 lakh outbound students. Even smaller states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu recorded substantially higher figures, with Kerala sending over 1.13 lakh and Tamil Nadu over 1.59 lakh students during this period.
Overall, the Government of India reported that more than 22 lakh Indian students went abroad for higher studies between 2016 and early 2021. In 2019 alone, India saw a record 5.88 lakh students leaving the country for education, before the numbers dropped to 2.61 lakh in 2020 due to travel disruptions caused by the pandemic.
Jammu and Kashmir’s low ranking in outbound student numbers reflects deeper systemic challenges, according to observers. These include economic limitations, fewer preparatory resources such as standardised test coaching and language training centres, and a lack of institutional support to help students navigate the process of foreign admissions. Consultants in Srinagar note that while interest in studying abroad has increased over the past few years, especially towards countries like the UK, Turkey and Kazakhstan, the infrastructure to support this interest remains uneven and underdeveloped.
The Ministry also shared data on Indians travelling abroad for employment between January 2016 and March 2021. Here too, Jammu and Kashmir remained on the lower end, with 47,528 individuals departing on employment visas during the period. In contrast, Kerala sent more than 19 lakh workers abroad, followed by Tamil Nadu with over 13 lakh and Uttar Pradesh with more than 12.6 lakh.
Meanwhile, under the Vande Bharat Mission launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to bring back stranded Indian nationals, 5,162 people from Jammu and Kashmir were repatriated by March 22, 2021. Kerala again led the figures with over 11.68 lakh returnees, followed by Maharashtra and Delhi.
Although the data is from 2021, it remains a crucial snapshot of India’s educational migration landscape. For Jammu and Kashmir, the numbers highlight a lag in outbound student mobility and international exposure. As the Union Territory attempts to modernise its education sector and expand opportunities for its youth, bridging this gap may take focused policy efforts, improved access to financial aid, and better preparatory infrastructure to help students from the region compete on a global stage.
