Engineering colleges in India have offered a limited number of places in undergraduate engineering courses to foreign nationals as well as Indians living abroad.

The admissions are categorised as the "Direct Admission of Students Abroad - Engineering College" (ADSA-EC) and will be done on a merit basis, according to the Indian Embassy. Students seeking admission must have passed or must be appearing in this year's qualifying examinations.

The courses offered by Indian engineering colleges include architecture, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, electrical and electronics engineering, communication engineering, mechanical engineering and production engineering.

The colleges include 17 regional engineering colleges in Allahabad, Bhopal, Calicut, Durgapur, Hamirpur, Jaipur, Jallundar, Jamshedpur, Kurukshetra, Nagpur, Rourkela, Silchar, Sri Nagar, Surat, Surathkal, Trichy and Warangal.

Tuition fees per year at the institutes will be $6,000 and foreign students from the Saarc countries seeking admission through this channel will be allowed a 50 per cent waiver on certain conditions.

Candidates can apply directly to the Educational Consultants India Limited, Ed.CIL House, 18-A, Sector 16-A, NOI Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi (Tel: 02-6664800).