This year, a notable 50 percent decline in the number of students from Punjab migrating to Canada after completing their Class XII examinations has significantly bolstered enrollment in educational institutions across the state. This shift has provided a much-needed boost to local colleges and universities, which had been facing instability in recent years.
In 2023, approximately 3.19 lakh students from India relocated to Canada, with nearly 1.8 lakh of these being Punjabi students, according to data from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. This year, however, the trend has dramatically reversed. Various immigration companies, IELTS centers, and ticketing agencies that thrived over the past six to seven years are now experiencing a sharp decline in business.
Conversely, this downturn for immigration-related businesses has resulted in a resurgence for local educational institutions. Dr. RS Deol, Director of Lyallpur Khalsa College Technical Campus, remarked, “The imposition of curbs on immigration by Canada has been a huge blessing for colleges in our region. Our admissions in all courses, including BCom, BCA, and BBA, are complete. We have already given provisional admission to students in the management quota for BTech. Our specialized courses in data sciences, artificial intelligence, and machine learning have received a good response. The online counselling being conducted by IK Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU) is also seeing a positive turnout this time.”
Aman Mittal, Vice-President of Lovely Professional University, echoed similar sentiments. He stated that the more stringent policies of the Canadian government have proven beneficial for regional educational institutions. “On our part, we too have been counselling students about far better placement prospects in India. Our courses in forensic sciences, aero-sciences, and blockchain have seen huge demand this year,” he added.
This unexpected shift has created a vibrant academic atmosphere in Punjab, bringing renewed hope and stability to local institutions. The state’s universities and colleges are now gearing up to accommodate the increased number of students who have chosen to pursue their higher education locally, rather than abroad.
