In addition, the British Council has a string of offices across India and in the neighbouring countries that offer all the information that students may require through their Education Counseling Services - about which courses are available where, the admission procedures, etcetera. While the prospectus and application forms from most British Universities are available on request free of cost, students are required to pay a nominal fee with their applications, if they were to apply through the UCAS.

However, there are some Universities like Middlesex University of London, that have set up full fledged operations in New Delhi, that works as a one stop shop for its prospective students. And it offers guidance and all facilities, free of cost. This includes spot admissions, reservation of accommodation in the University Halls of residence, advice on UK Visa requirements- and all this without the student having to make a single phone call to the UK!

That apart, Britain offers a cost-effective, traditional and a user-friendly academic system. User-friendly, because our English-medium school and colleges still follow an education that has much in common with the British system. This allows the students entering the UK to settle down easily and to excel in the UK.

And cost effective because a year in a British University-inclusive of fees and living costs - would cost about £ 14,000, which effectively converts to about $20,000. Compare this with a year in an American University which costs at least around $30,000(and the Ivy League Universities could cost much more), and students have the chance of getting a modestly priced internationally recognised qualification. Besides, the one-year Masters from Britain (including the MBA or the M Sc in IT) is indeed a very attractive option.

The Indian government's recent budget announcement that students can take a loans up to Rs 10 Lacs (or £15,000) for studying abroad, fits in perfectly for those students keen to take up such an option in the UK. Such loans are available from banks such as Citi Bank, IDBI Bank, Canara Bank, SBI, etcetera. A limited number of partial or full scholarships are also available, but these are only available to students with exceptional academic merit.

And as the Reserve Bank of India formally permits an annual transfer of up to $30,000 a year, for students abroad, funds can be legally transferred abroad to pay for fees and expenses. Besides, most students are nowadays able to earn as much as £4000 a year - specially in a City like London - with Britain now following the American example, and permitting students to "earn while they learn". This is an added attraction for international students, and it can help meet over half the living cost in UK.

One does see some very good institutions in India like the IITs and IIMs, but there are some ordinary ones too. The ordinary one's are simply unable to cater to the local and the global interests at large. While studying abroad has many other advantages. Their education system is properly focused. They offer specialised areas of study and highly technical subjects e. g., Management, Information Technology, Web-design etc. In addition, the system abroad is geared towards making the youth a part of the International community. By virtue of studying abroad student interact with a large number of important people, make important contacts, and they thereby become a part of the global village. Hence, those among the Indian youth who have the money prefer to spend in studying abroad.

However, the efficacy of a foreign degree in India depends its specific demand in the country, foreign degree exposes you to the global job market besides the national one. Secondly, you can atleast hope to get a good starting job in India if you have a foreign degree. Our education system emphasises on theory classes / lectures cramming up a good deal and answering papers. Contrarily, the Western system limits the lectures to an average of 10-14 hours a week. But the student has to spend five times that amount of time in library work, in group tutorials, writing essays, interacting with others and so forth. And a master's degree course in any British University often exerts a lot of pressure on an individual to get the best but of him.

Furthermore, many British Universities have begun to offer qualifications that prepare students for a professional career. Middlesex University, London, is one such University. Its flexible academic structure enables students to specialise or to combine subjects to satisfy their individual between a top flight American University and a lesser known one; the British system ensures very strict quality controls, and therefore, there is a consistency in the quality of education being imparted by British Universities-from Oxbridge to new Universities.

And like American Universities, even the British Universities have begun to grant credits to students for the work they do. For instance, a student gets a Bachelor's degree after gaining 360 credits (roughly 120 credits per year). Some students are even allowed to join up straight into year II or Year III or a BA / B.Sc. course, once their previous work is evaluated and credits are given to them. Indian students too are eligible for such credits. Their teaching style is equally progressive-students often work in teams; discuss and debate, to make the most of their learning skills. Students can also spend time in one of the University's partner institutions abroad or take up work placements worldwide. This often proves to be an enriching experience.

Either way, the market value of such a qualification from a University abroad is enormous. And though some Indian Universities are hesitant to recognise degrees awarded by a foreign - and this is more out a false sense of academic arrogance - for those seeking an opening particularly with multinationals and in the corporate sector, such qualifications and the exposure that goes with it, are of great advantage. But most good employers know that on the whole University education in the west is far more intensive than that of India Universities, because the students and the faculty members abroad are constantly under pressure top improve their performance. There is little chance of stagnating. Moreover, Universities abroad invest heavily in providing quality education, research and hiring academics.

University life in the UK revolves around an exchange of ideas, skills and expertise between students and stuffs. Also, plenty of help is given with career planning as well as personal and educational development. Typically a student centred University will have a career information libraries, which contains profiles of occupations and employers, and up-to-date details of vacancies and vacation works. Information and advice is available from reference books, videos, internet and career -guidance software packages. And a Careers Advisory Service provides students with assistance. Middlesex University is one such student centred University and therefore a popular destination for study in the UK.

(For more details Maroof Raza may be contacted at mdxuindia@bol.net.in or mdxdelhi@satyam.net.in)