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A courtyard at Delhi University turned into a global stage on Thursday as international students traded lecture halls for traditional Indian dance and music to mark the 77th Foundation Day of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. The event underscored how education-linked cultural exchange is shaping diplomatic ties and everyday life for thousands of foreign scholars studying in India.
Performers from across the world — clad in bright national garments or dressed in Indian costumes — took turns demonstrating Bharatanatyam, Odissi, bhangra and other regional forms, drawing a large crowd around the Sir Shankar Lal Concert Hall on DU’s North Campus.
Nearly 700 foreign students enrolled at Delhi University attended, representing countries from South Asia, the Middle East and beyond. Diplomats and university officials watched as visitors not only performed choreographed pieces but also discussed the training and study that brought them to these stages.
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Scholarships meet soft power
The celebrations highlighted the role of the ICCR scholarship programme, run under the education ministry, which supports international students pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies in India. Officials say the scheme is an instrument of cultural diplomacy: it brings students into Indian institutions and encourages them to take part in artistic practices during their stay.
ICCR-funded students are currently enrolled at 134 higher education institutions across the country, with more than 8,000 beneficiaries overall. In the last academic year, roughly 4,000 scholarships were granted across disciplines, according to officials involved in the programme.
Beyond formal teaching, the council organises workshops, performances and festivals aimed at deepening participants’ exposure to Indian culture. The activities are often coordinated through Indian cultural centres overseas and through partnerships with the diaspora.
Voices from the lawn
One doctoral candidate from Bangladesh described the experience as more than academic: living in India has offered daily contact with new arts and practices that he calls “the most memorable” part of his stay. Students from Russia, Iran, Nepal and Bhutan performed alongside peers from Mexico and Egypt, reflecting a surprisingly wide geographic mix.
- Scope: Scholarships available for UG, PG and doctoral programmes.
- Reach: Over 8,000 international students at 134 institutions nationwide.
- Recent scale: Around 4,000 awards made in the previous academic year.
- Cultural activities: Dance, music, yoga and workshops organised domestically and abroad.
The event’s guest list included Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu as chief guest and Balaram Pani, dean of colleges at Delhi University. Organisers said the gathering was intended both to celebrate ICCR’s anniversary and to showcase how scholarship recipients become informal cultural ambassadors during their time in India.
For policymakers and university staff, the festival also serves as a reminder that academic programmes can extend influence and build long-term, person-to-person connections — a practical expression of soft power that plays out in classrooms, practice halls and public lawns alike.
