There is a Quota System most Visa's and certainly for SPP. I'll post the link when I have time you can also find it via searching CIC.
And No SPP is not the Best Option nor the Only one for Indian Students the best option is the one that fits the Students needs in some cases it may be SPP especially for Rich well funded Students persuing Post Graduate Degrees and who don't need to work to earn money.
For the vast majority of others that are not Rich or well funded or qualified for Post Graduate Degrees or to young to have a Degree non SPP is the better option in a lot of Cases, again it comes down to the Students specific situation.
SPP takes at least 3+ Months regular Study and Work Permits from India are typically 3-4 Weeks!!! Big Difference!
SPP requires additional Documents and the List of Docs is extensive including the GIC which is not a requirement for regular Study and Work Permits!!!
SPP is NOT a one size fits all "Best Option" lol NOTE 2. First Statement by CIC for most Students who want to stay in Canada after Grad SPP is NOT an Option!!!
2. Requirements for a Canadian Study Permit
You must satisfy the officer that you meet the requirements of the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations and that you must:
satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your period of authorized stay;
SPP from the CIC website http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/china-chine/visas/SPP_Application_Kit.aspx?lang=eng
India Checklist http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/india-inde/visas/checklist-student-SPP-liste-etudes-PPE.aspx?lang=eng
Am I guaranteed a study permit if I to apply through the SPP?
No. The SPP provides a streamlined application process but you must still meet all the requirements for a study permit. Financial documents are only one factor in a visa officer's decision. The Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) reduces the amount of financial documents that you and your family are required to submit in support of your study permit application but does not guarantee an approval of your study permit application.
2. Requirements for a Canadian Study Permit
You must satisfy the officer that you meet the requirements of the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations and that you must:
satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your period of authorized stay;
be accepted by an educational institution and hold a valid letter of acceptance;
prove that you have enough money to support your stay in Canada;
produce any documents requested by the officer to establish your admissibility; and,
complete a medical examination
A study permit is not required if the duration of the study program is six months or less.
As an example here is a Quota for CEC...from CIC website. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/apply-who.asp
The CEC cap of 8,000 applicants for the period of May 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 has been reached. Completing an Express Entry profile is now the first step for interested candidates who want to be considered for CEC. Paper applications available before January 1, 2015 are no longer being accepted.
Also on the CIC site the following alluding to Caps (Quotas) as Proof of an EXAMPLE of Quotas in the overall Immigration program in Canada.
By early 2010, intake numbers had achieved pre-2008 levels and began to erode earlier Action Plan gains. In response, the second set of Ministerial Instructions in 2010 (MI-2) was implemented, placing an overall annual numerical cap on new FSW applications (20,000), as well as a cap of 1,000 per eligible occupation. MI-2 also required all FSW applications to include a valid language test result from a designated third-party language testing agency. Lastly, MI-2 introduced a temporary moratorium on the acceptance of new federal immigrant investor applications until regulatory amendments came into effect in December 2010.
CIC Notice on Quota CAP for FSW - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2014/ob572.asp
Ministerial Instructions: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades and Canadian Experience Class Applications
This Operational Bulletin has expired.
Summary
Effective May 1, 2014, a maximum of 25,500 new Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications without an offer of arranged employment (including 500 applications in the PhD student/graduate stream), 5,000 new Federal Skilled Trades (FST) applications, and 8,000 new Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications will be considered for processing for the period of May 1, 2014, until April 30, 2015, unless otherwise indicated in a future Ministerial Instruction. Applications must be completeFootnote 1 and included within the caps set for each program to be considered for processing.
