Usually a low-key affair, this time around, the US Educational Foundation of India (USEFI) decided to make a big splash by putting out advertisements about the fair. The immediate thought that comes to mind is that the US is getting jittery about other countries eating into its pie, as far as foreign education is considered for Indians. After all, the UK has announced its big comeback in hardselling its higher education to the Indian audience.

Australia is of course an established player inthe Indian market. Canada's here, too. And from last year, France has joined the bandwagon. Plus, there are smaller countries trying to make an entry as well.

But Vijaya Rao, educational advisor, USEFI, says that advertisements about the education fair have nothing to do with competition from other countries. She says: ``Last year, lots of students complained that they did not get to know about the fair at all and missed a chance to meet the US university representatives.'' That's the reason USEFI decided to publicise the event this time, adds Rao. For a good crowd.

Anything new this time in the fair? Not really, says Rao. Engineering, Business Studies and Computer Science continue to dominate the popularity charts. She adds that in some ways, Computer Science has become more popular than Business Studies this year. But in the overall trend, Engineering is number one for graduates. And Business Studies tops the list for undergraduates.

Talking about fellowships and scholarships for Indian studentsseeking admission in US universities, Rao says that the numbers have more or less remained the same. However, she adds, scholarships are always there for the real seekers.

Even as seekers abound, the big names continue to be missing at the US education fair year after year. Any particular reasons? Rao answers: ``Harvard doesn't have to go to any fair to get international students. The number of applications that it gets is quite huge anyway.'' She adds: ``The top, top universities never come to any education fair.'' Even then, this year, some prominent universities such as New York State University, the University of Miami and Michigan State University came to the fair.

Talking of new courses, Rao says that an online course project put up by the Internet Centre for Education, USEFI, has been approved. This will be a short-term course meant for those seeking training while on the job. The course contents are yet to be finalised. The project, which is still at a nascent stage, is being partially funded bythe telecom giant, AT&T.

And that's not the only thing in which AT&T is involved as far as USEFI is concerned. The recently organised education fair was part-sponsored by AT&T. In fact, AT&T representatives were busy giving out forms for the AT&T leadership award worth $50,000 for outstanding academic performance, making the AT&T stall a crowd-puller! Since 1995, when the award was instituted, 26 Indian students have received this award. Apart from AT&T, the other sponsors were American Express and Coke. Education is big business after all.