Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed concern over the sharp decline in the number of Indian students choosing to study in the United Kingdom due to visa issues. Modi took up the matter during his dialogue with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London, said the external affairs ministry.

A ministry spokesperson said the Prime Minister raised the issue very strongly, citing that the number of Indian students in the UK has fallen by 50% in the last three years. Modi said that Indian students are among the best and the brightest in the world and it would be a win-win partnership for both sides, with Indians needing a quality education and the UK benefiting from the expertise that Indian students bring.

The ministry revealed that there was a lot of understanding and appreciation from the UK on the matter and that discussions will continue on it.

The story so far:

• The number of Indian students going to the UK for education fell from 18,535 in 2010 - '11 to 10,235 in 2012 - '13, according to a report by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

• UK universities have warned that the negative impact of the ruling Conservative Party’s drive to reduce net migration is harming their recruitment of international students.

• The withdrawal of the post-study work visa, which allowed students to work for two years after finishing their course, has been seen as one of the major deterring factors for Indian students, who are now choosing the United States and Australia over the UK.