Every year lakhs of students are migrating overseas colleges and universities and therefore each year hundreds of crores are going out of Punjab on account of student education.
This migration process comes at a cost of 15 to 22 lakh for the first year of study and accommodation.
The 2017 Value of Education report from HSBC, found that Indian parents spent a hefty $18,909 (about ₹12.3 lakh) towards their children’s school and college education in tuition fees, books and transport.
About 83% of them engaged private tutors and 94% were keen to fund a post-graduate degree.
The report after surveying the aspirations of 8,481 parents across 15 countries, reiterates that Indian parents continue to pull out all stops when it comes to their offspring’s education.
The craze to settle in abroad through study visa has grown resulting in a huge increase in IELTS coaching centers and outlets of visa consultant offices at nook and corner of the Amritsar.
In Ranjit Avenue, the district shopping complex at Amritsar we clearly see IELTS coaching centre and visa consultant offices everywhere.
An owner of IELTS coaching centre said, "Migration is a passion nowadays who just passed out 12th class and they prefer to study and settle abroad for earning a better life."
Talking to Indian Observer Post, a student said, "It’s a status symbol to move away to abroad and settle there for a happy life. I don't want to do family farming business."
Due to the weekly system in the universities students can take up a part-time job and earn simultaneously.
About 75% of students are from agriculture family of the villages around the Amritsar.
Canada is the first choice for the students and some of them also prefer to settle in Australia, New Zealand, US and UK also.
Travel agent engaged in facilitating the Canadian visa for students said that this trend had been increased since 2016 when around 75,000 students only from Punjab had gone to the country.
This migration of students abroad leads to their parents alone and manpower is also decreasing in Punjab as a large number of students are settling to abroad.
The Government is also responsible for this mindset of the students as it does not create as many as jobs and better opportunities for the students so students feel insecure their future here and prefer to migrate to other countries.