The US consulate in Mumbai which dedicated a day to students who wished to get their F1 and J1 visas saw at least 800 of them apply on Wednesday. This, according to statistics, is a 9% jump from last year. Since October 2012, as many as 6,366 student visas have been issued making Mumbai second only to Chennai in terms of the number of applications received.
“Clearly, the rupee’s sharp fall against the dollar does not seem to be deterring many,” laughed a staffer at the consulate taking questions from students lining up at the 11 interview windows.
Apart from the colourful banners and displays from 183 leading universities across 23 states in the US, the music, balloons, popcorn (25 pounds of it!) and fizzy drinks added to the ‘frat’ atmosphere. The consulate staffers had themselves turned out in their college T-shirts and jerseys.
While there were quite a few Mumbaikars among the applicants, many had come from as far as Indore, Surat and Ahmedabad. Aashna Desai, 16, was besides herself with joy on getting the visa. This Ahmedabad IB school pass-out said, “I’ve been dreaming of going to the US since Class VIII and began working on it early.” She’s applied for psychology major to the University of California.
When asked whether she would want to settle there, she comes across as
wise-beyond-her-age. “Under the current circumstances, that wouldn’t be very wise. The growth is all here in India,” she points out, and explains, “I want to come back and start my own management consultancy.” She hugged her proud father Vyomesh and admitted that it will be tough to live away from the the family.
“I have always lived with them around, so it’ll take a while to get used to being on my own.”
Colaba boy Rajat Maheshwari, who is going to University of Northern British Columbia, said it’s tennis that beckons him. “I left Mumbai since there isn’t much to tennis coaching here and joined St Stephens in Delhi. But there, the college is not willing to give me any latitude with attendance for the time I have to spend at tennis practice. So, I applied here, and when they saw my achievements they gave me a 75% scholarship and agreed to let me play on their team too.”
He has some rather strong words for the Indian authorities. “If India has to do well in sports, then we need to change the way our educational institutions look at sports as a career. Otherwise, this brawn-drain will not stop,” says the young tennis pro who will soon join the 1,00,270 Indians already studying across 2,300 universities across the US.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}