A total of 94,000 enrolments from India were registered this academic year, even as immigration norms were tightened last September, confirmed John McCarthy, the Australian High Commissioner to India. He said, “The number of Indian students has gone up considerably.”

When asked about the future prospect of Indian students, he said: “Unemployment is looking more of a problem now although it has not gone as dramatic as elsewhere. The future job prospects will depend on what the students opt for, the degree and the length of the course apart from the global economic situation when the new batches pass out. We are not expecting a huge dip.”

He said it will be easier for the students to stay if they have a two-year master degree, adding, “The impact of the tightening of the immigration laws is yet to be seen. The effect will be visible only after December.”

While the state-wise figures of the enrolments are not available with the education centre at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, consultants back in the city estimate about 30 per cent of the total number of students being from the state.