SEMESTER AND ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-2025
STUDENTS MUST READ THROUGH ALL THE INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE
FOR ALL STUDENTS:
Pre-Departure Orientation
All students will be REQUIRED to participate in a pre-departure orientation that will take place over Zoom in the second half of August. We will send you all a link. The orientation will last about two hours and will include ample time for Q & A. If you have particular topics you wish to be addressed in the orientation please contact
Travel to India
AIIS will be purchasing tickets for all those who have received language fellowships All other students–including students who will be receiving non-AIIS funding–should purchase their own tickets. Students must purchase tickets through to their language centers. Students may of course arrive in India before the program starts if you want to travel around. If you have any questions please contact me BEFORE purchasing your tickets. Most students will arrive in India at the airport in Delhi. Students who wish to spend the night in Delhi before heading to their language centers will be met at the airport and taken to accommodations. However please note that most international flights arrive very late at night. Students may wish to arrange for connecting flights to their language centers that leave early the morning after they arrive in India, in which case they should just spend the intervening time between flights in the airport as there will be no time to go back and forth from and to the airport. Students will be met upon arrival at their language center (Jaipur, Pune, Lucknow, Madurai, etc.). Please all send us your COMPLETE itineraries with complete flight dates, flight numbers and times so our office in India can arrange to have you met at the airport. Academic year and fall students will be housed by AIIS free of charge for the night of September 4. If you arrive early and wish to be housed by AIIS before the program starts we can do it for a fee but you must notify us about that.
Housing and Meals
Our staff in India will arrange for your housing in India most likely in large apartments owned by local families although some students may stay in dorm-like facilities. AIIS will negotiate a fee that you will pay for room and in some cases partial board. Please go to www.aiislanguageprograms.org (also accessible from the main web site www.indiastudies.org, from the language program page) for detailed information about your living expenses at the different language programs. Lunch will be available at the AIIS language program center (in the case of Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Pune, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, and Madurai) at a reasonable rate. If you have any dietary requirements or any other needs or concerns, please let us know so that we can place you in appropriate housing. If you already have a place to stay, please let us know that as well. Please return the housing preference form by email attachment which we will forward to our office in India. Please fill out as much of it as you can. The U.S. office will NOT be informed of the host families’ names and addresses before the program starts and so will not be able to give you that information.
Your Expenses in India
All academic year and semester students will receive a maintenance allowance of Rs 47,000 per month while in India, which should cover your living expenses while in India. You will receive the maintenance allowance only while you are in India. You will not receive the allowance for any time you spend outside of India during the course of the program (for instance if you decide to return to the U.S. during the winter break). Your room and partial board will be about 30,000 Rupees per month. Your other living expenses will include purchase of Indian clothing, local transportation (some students prefer to buy a used bicycle while others use buses or rickshaws), occasional meals at restaurants, etc. Your maintenance allowance should cover ALL of the above mentioned expenses. If you do plan on purchasing expensive souvenirs, or if you plan on doing very extensive traveling during the semester break, you should bring some additional money. Please note that you can withdraw Rupees from Indian ATM machines using your U.S. bank ATM card. Students have reported that Charles Schwab has a debit card which reimburses ATM fees and that American Express cards are good for online payments.
International Student ID Cards
It is recommended that you bring an international student id card with you. You will get discounts on trains, planes, etc. with your card.
Health
We strongly recommend that you be vaccinated against Hepatitis A before you leave for India. Also, make sure that your tetanus booster is current(you need a tetanus booster every ten years). Please consult a health professional about other vaccinations or medications you may need to bring with you. It is advised that you bring insect repellent to protect you against mosquito bites.
Class Attendance
Please note that all students are expected to attend all classes and field trips unless they are ill or there is some kind of emergency. Students who miss more than three classes without a reasonable explanation may be asked to leave the program.
Other Information
Students should consult the language program site www.aiislanguageprograms.org for detailed information about their language centers. That site has addresses, contact information, model schedules, breakdown of living expenses, housing and much other useful information. The American Institute of Indian Studies Board of Trustees requires all participants in Institute programs to provide evidence of health insurance coverage while you are in India. Please let us know your insurance carrier and policy number on the attached health insurance information sheet. We can also provide insurance information for overseas care in case you do not have medical coverage that will remain in effect during the period of your stay in India and upon your return to the United States.
It is particularly important for all students who participate in this program to understand that the American Institute of Indian Studies Language Program operates under requirements set by the Government of India. Accepting the offer to participate in the language program should indicate your willingness to adjust to conditions and requirements that may be quite dissimilar to those at American universities. Because of the intensive nature of the program, no participants will be permitted to bring spouses, dependents or friends on the program, unless those individuals are also on the approved list of participants in the program.
HINDI STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN JAIPUR)
Hindi students must arrange their tickets through to Jaipur and must be in Jaipur by the evening of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Jaipur on September 3. Students whose international flights arrive in Delhi late at night will be met in Delhi airport upon arrival and can be housed by AIIS before the connecting flight to Jaipur. All students will be met in Jaipur upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
PUNJABI STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN CHANDIGARH)
Punjabi students must plan to be in Chandigarh by the night of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Chandigarh on September 3. Punjabi students will be met at the airport in Delhi whenever their flight arrives so you will need to send us your itinerary so you can be met at the airport. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
URDU/MUGHAL PERSIAN STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN LUCKNOW)
Urdu and Mughal Persian students must arrange their tickets through to Lucknow and must be in Lucknow by the evening of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Lucknow on September 3. Students whose international flights arrive in Delhi late at night will be met in Delhi airport upon arrival and can be housed by AIIS before the connecting flight to Lucknow. All students will be met in Lucknow upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
GUJARATI STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN AHMEDABAD)
Gujarati students must arrange their tickets through to Ahmedabad and must be in Ahmedabad by the evening of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Ahmedabad on September 3. Students whose international flights arrive in Delhi late at night will be met in Delhi airport upon arrival and can be housed by AIIS before the connecting flight to Ahmedabad. For students flying into Mumbai: Please note we do not have an office in Mumbai and cannot meet flights going to Mumbai. All students will be met in Ahmedabad upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
BENGALI STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN KOLKATA)
Bengali students must arrange their tickets through to Kolkata and must be in Kolkata by the evening of Monday September 2 You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Kolkata on September 3. Students whose international flights arrive in Delhi late at night will be met in Delhi airport upon arrival and can be housed by AIIS before the connecting flight to Kolkata. All students will be met in Kolkata upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
MARATHI/SANSKRIT STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN PUNE)
Marathi/Sanskrit students must arrange their tickets through to Pune and must be in Pune by the evening of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Pune on September 3. Students whose international flights arrive in Delhi late at night will be met in Delhi airport upon arrival and can be housed by AIIS before the connecting flight to Pune. For students flying into Mumbai: Please note we do not have an office in Mumbai and cannot meet flights going to Mumbai. All students will be met in Pune upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
TAMIL STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN MADURAI)
Tamil students must arrange their tickets through to Madurai and must be in Madurai by the evening of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Madurai on September 3. Students whose international flights arrive in Delhi late at night will be met in Delhi airport upon arrival and can be housed by AIIS before the connecting flight to Madurai. For students flying into Mumbai: Please note we do not have an office in Mumbai and cannot meet flights going to Mumbai. All students will be met in Madurai upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
TELEGU STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN HYDERABAD)
Telegu students must arrange their tickets through to Hyderabad and must be in Hyderabad by the evening of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Hyderabad on September 3. Students whose international flights arrive in Delhi late at night will be met in Delhi airport upon arrival and can be housed by AIIS before the connecting flight to Hyderabad. All students will be met in Hyderabad upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged
KANNADA STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN MYSORE)
Kannada students should plan on being in Mysore by the evening of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Mysore on September 3. Students whose international flights arrive in Delhi late at night will be met in Delhi airport upon arrival and can be housed by AIIS before the connecting flight to Mysore. For students flying into Mumbai: Please note we do not have an office in Mumbai and cannot meet flights going to Mumbai. All students will be met in Mysore upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
ASSAMESE STUDENTS (PROGRAM IN GUWAHATI)
Assamese students should plan on being in Delhi by the evening of Monday September 2. You will be housed by AIIS the night of September 2. Orientation will take place in Delhi on September 3. All students will be met in Delhi upon arrival. We will need your itineraries. You can arrive earlier and if you need housing earlier than September 2 let us know and that can be arranged.
The fall program will end on December 20, 2024. There will be a two-week break and the spring semester will commence on January 6, 2025.
Address of the AIIS headquarters in New Delhi:
Post Bag No. 67
Plot No. 22, Sector-32, Institutional Area
Gurgaon-122 001 Haryana
Tel: 91-124-2381424 or 91-124-2381359
Contact: Ms Purnima Mehta
Language program administrator in India: