Nearly 450 Indian students and staff members have been awarded the prestigious Erasmus scholarship and mobility grants funded by the European Union to study in leading universities across Europe this year, a 23 per cent increase since the last year.
According to the EU, in addition to this, 350 students and staff from Indian higher education institutions have been selected for scholarships under Erasmus' International Credit Mobility (ICM) programme, which funds mobility agreements between European and Indian universities.
"Out of these 450, 89 Indian students 48 females and 41 males have been awarded a fully-funded scholarship for Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree programs (EMJMD), offering the opportunity to attend universities in at least two different countries in Europe," an official statement said.
With 23 per cent jump in Indian nationals bagging the Erasmus scholarships, compared to the last year, India remains one of the top five third-countries recipients of the scholarship, it said.
The scholarship allows the recipient to spend minimum of three months to a year in an European university to obtain credits, which are recognized at home institutions as part of their degree.
Since the introduction of the programme to India in 2004, around 5,900 Erasmus scholarships and grants have been awarded to Indian students and staff members.