New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) The number of Indian students going abroad grew roughly 43.07 per cent a year while that of foreign students visiting India for higher education grew 14.75 per cent a year, it was indicated in Parliament today.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Human Resource Development D Purandareswari said India has educational exchange programmes with 24 nations.

She estimated the number of Indian students going abroad in 1999-2000 at 51,414-- up to 1,40,000 in 2004-05.

As many as 80,446 of the 1,40,000 went to the United States, 20,000 to Australia, and 16,685 to Britain, she said.

The number of foreign students who came to India for higher education in 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04: 9,215; 10,396 and 11,934 respectively.

She was asked by Bharatiya Janata Party Members Ramdas Agarwal and Dara Singh whether opening of foreign institutions in India has brought down the number of Indian students going abroad.

The Minister said no foreign education institution has established any campus in India and there is no evidence that there has been any reduction in the number of students going abroad for education.

UNI