Mysuru: To keep tab on some of the foreign students getting wayward, based on a direction from the Government of India, from this academic year, it has been mandatory that those from abroad coming for higher education on fellowship should compulsorily stay in hostel. The rule applies to all the universities across the country.
On an average, every year more than 300 foreign students from different countries come to Mysuru on fellowship to pursue various courses including PhD programmes. There was no compulsion that they should stay in hostel. They were free to stay anywhere. But from this academic year, that will be a thing of past just considering the safety and security of foreign students. To keep tab on them, the Government of India has instructed all the universities across the country to accommodate foreign students on fellowship only in hostels. This also enables them to focus more on studies.
Speaking to Newskarnataka, G R Janardhana, Director of International Centre, University of Mysore said, “The purpose of providing fellowship is to acquire knowledge. When they are allowed to stay outside they may not be able to concentrate on studies and may indulge in other activities. So to avoid this, the union government has instructed all the universities to provide hostel facility for all foreign students.”
“Every year, based on ICCR fellowship from 65 different countries, nearly 300 foreign students take up various courses including Under Graduate, Post Graduate and PhD courses at the University of Mysore. Most of them used to stay away from the hostel in rented houses. But from now on, all these students should compulsorily stay in hostel. To accommodate foreign students we have constructed a new hostel in Kuvempunagar and already we are having accommodation for international students opposite Fire Station in Saraswathipuram. If the colleges have it, then they should also provide hostel facility to these foreign students. During this academic year, we will be providing accommodation to more than 100 such foreign students.”
He also mentioned that the foreign students who come for various studies through fellowship get a house allowance of Rs 4500 per month. “When they are inside the college or university campus and when they go back to hostel they will be under CCTV surveillance. All the students should be inside the hostel before 8 PM and if they want to go out after 8 PM, they should get permission from the warden concerned.
