JOSEPH VARGHESE

DOHA THE Indian Education Exhibition that started at the Regency Halls on Monday has evoked a very enthusiastic response with a large number of people visiting the various stalls on the opening day. Around 15 organisations representing 100 Indian education institutions are taking part in the two-day exhibition.

Talking to Qatar Tribune, Thagyarajan, director of the Indus Group which is organising the event, said the exhibition provided students the opportunity to seek entry at all educational levels in India. “We have a number of excellent organisations in India taking part in the exhibition. There are 15 organisations which have around 100 educational institutions which cater to studies right from Kindergarten to the doctorate level.

The institutions offer education in all streams at all levels,” he said.

Thagyarajan pointed out that medicine and engineering were still the most preferred courses for Indian parents and students while courses like fashion technology and interior design were also becoming popular.

The exhibition is part of a Gulf exercise that is being held in five cities. The other locations are Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman.

Dean of Shri Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, one of the participants at the exhibition, said that there were a good number of people from the Middle East applying to his college.

“People in the Middle East are conscious about their children’s future and plan their higher education from its early stages.

Our college is ranked 52nd in India. We offer nine degree programmes and six post-graduate programmes in engineering,” he said.

He also said that Indian institutions provide high quality education at an affordable price. “We charge $3,000 per year for a degree course in addition to $1,200 for boarding and lodging which is fairly economical,” he added.

Another participant at the fair, Peevees International School offers advanced facilities for schoolchildren. Shajan Mathew, the school’s principal, said that there were 12 students from Doha studying in the school.

“We provide boarding facilities from KG classes. Around 25 percent of the students are from seven foreign countries. The teacher-student ratio is one to eight and the total number of students is 450 with the maximum class strength being 25. The school also provides parallel remedial classes and foster parenting system,” he said.

Rashad Mubarak, a Class XI student of Ideal Indian School, who was visiting the fair, said that he was eager to explore the various options for next year. “I came to know of a recently-added engineering course called Mechtronics, which is a combination of mechanical engineering and electronics.

I think this is an interesting option,” the student said.