Pradhan Meets Canadian University Delegation to Deepen Education Ties

On Wednesday, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had a meeting with a group of academic leaders from 24 top Canadian universities led by Amb Christopher Cooter, High Commissioner.

The Minister of Education held talks with a delegation of academic leaders from 24 top Canadian universities that was headed by Amb Christopher Cooter, High Commissioner. The discussion was centered on opening up new avenues of collaboration at the academic and research level with Indian HEIs and deepening India, Canada cooperation in higher education.

As posted on the microblogging site, X by Pradhan, the Canadian universities are willing to set up international campuses, strengthen academic, research and innovation capacities, talent development and building workforce of the future, as well as create innovative models for advancing the long-term educational agenda.

According to data shared by the Ministry of External Affairs during the Winter Session of Parliament in December 2025, there are 4,27,085 Indian students in Canada. The number includes both those studying in schools and those studying in universities and tertiary institutions.

In 2024, Canada was the top international higher education destination with a total of 4,27,000 Indian students visiting the country.It was then the USA with 3, 37, 630 Indian students, the United Kingdom with 1, 85, 000, Australia (1, 22, 202), and Germany (42, 997) that followed the list, the NITI Aayog report said.

So why is Canada seeing fewer arrivals in 2025?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have released official data where it is shown that the country saw a drop of almost 60% in new international students arrivals in 2025 compared to the previous year. Within a year, the number of new arrivals decreased by about 1.32 lakh, the change that reflects the impact of the introduction of extensive reforms in the student and temporary worker programs since late 2023.

 In early 2024, the federal government introduced an annual limit of 3.60 lakh study permits nationwide to “stabilise growth” and address pressures on housing and infrastructure.

In 2025, the cap was further reduced by 10%, bringing down allocations across provinces and territories. Alongside this, Ottawa made it mandatory for every acceptance letter to be verified through an official process to curb fraud and unauthorised enrollments. The government also increased financial requirements for study permit applicants — a move aimed at ensuring students are better prepared to meet living costs in Canada’s high-inflation environment.

These changes, coupled with the slower processing of applications submitted under earlier rules, have significantly reduced new arrivals this academic year.

What’s behind the policy shift?

The government has emphasised that the goal is not to restrict genuine talent but to make immigration “sustainable and better aligned with labour market needs.” Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in a statement that the new limits were aimed at "reducing the number of temporary residents to less than 5% of Canada's population" within a few years.

There had been worries that the increase in the number of short term residents, especially international students, was leading to problems like shortage of housing, skyrocketing rents, and lack of job opportunities. The government explained that the changes were intended to make it a win, win situation for students and local communities.