From how classrooms looked to how exams were conducted, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about sweeping changes in the education sector. Disruptions were also caused in the admission process, including for international students coming to Indian universities and colleges for higher education.
Students from different countries opt for Bangalore University (BU) for their higher studies. From 2017 to 2022, 124 students completed their postgraduation from the varsity. However, during the pandemic, apart from a decrease in the number of students coming in from abroad, the 2020-21 batch started after one year — in February 2021. In 2021-2022, there were no foreign students in BU.
“As the pandemic started in March 2020, all work was postponed. The admission process normally starts by August, but due to COVID-19, it was not possible and the admission got delayed. The batch finally started in February 2021. But every year, we get a huge response from different countries, but Afghanistan, Africa and Nepal are significant,” said P. Venugopal, former Director of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
