Students taking ‘No-Objection Letters’ for abroad study reduced to half

Mahima Devkota / Kathmandu, Nov. 26: The number of students who had taken no-objection letters to abroad study for graduate and undergraduate programs has reduced to 50 per cent in comparison to pre-pandemic following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report of the Abroad Study Permission Section under the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST), the number of students who had taken no-objection letters posts COVID-19 pandemic in the year 2077/78 was 27,978.

This is nearly 50 per cent less in comparison to the data before the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic students who had taken no objection letter for abroad study in the fiscal year 2075/76 was 63,259.

Narayan Pokhrel, Section Chief of Abroad Study Permission Section said that the number of students applying for abroad study has reduced to half after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Before the pandemic, as much as 63,259 students travelled abroad for education purposes but after the pandemic, the number was reduced to 34,094 in 2076/77 and 27,978 in the fiscal year 2077/78 was 27,978. This is half in comparison to the data before the pandemic.” He said.

According to him nearly 600 students used to come for travel permission to aboard before the pandemic and after the pandemic, nearly 300 students only daily come for travel permission.

Education expert Bidyanath Koiralasaid that the main reason behind the decrease in the number of students travelling abroad for education is the lockdown in the top destination countries and the closure of schools and universities owing to the COVID-19 infection.

He expressed his belief that with the ease of COVID-19 restriction, it will gain momentum.

As per the Abroad Study Permission Section, the top-five destination countries of students are Japan, Australia, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Canada. In the fiscal year 2077/78, a total of 8,146 went to Japan for education, 4,849 to Australia, 2,797 in India, 2,643 in South Korea, and 2,516 in Canada.

Education Expert Koirala said that Education, money, and provision of longer stay is the main reason behind Japan becoming the top-most destination for Nepali students.