With the University of Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) asking Indian students to maintain due diligence while taking admission in Chinese Universities, Indian students who haven’t been able to go back to China due to the country’s Covid restrictions hope that the situation doesn’t deteriorate for them.
“A few universities in China have started issuing notices for admission to various degree programmes for current and upcoming academic years. Any prospective student needs to be aware that the Chinese government imposed strict travel restrictions in wake of Covid and suspended all visas from November 2020. A large number of Indian students haven't been able to return to China to continue their studies due to these restrictions. Thus far, there has been no relaxation in the restrictions. Further, Chinese authorities have conveyed that courses will be conducted online,” said the UGC statement, while adding that it doesn’t recognise degree courses done in the online mode.
A student from Harbin University, Satvik Somya, while talking to the Free Press Journal said that when he took admission to the University in 2019, he followed the guidelines mandated by the Medical Council of India (MCI, now known as National Medical Council). “I think there are some misconceptions about the universities and processes involved. In 2019, when I took admission and MCI was not yet dissolved, they used to update a list, which I think is still done by NMC, every year regarding universities that are recognised by the council. If one takes admission to a university that is present on the list, then he/she is not likely to face any problem if their documentations are complete,” said Somya, who believed that though his university doesn’t have a history that violates the requirements, the statement worries him as it might create hurdles in the future. “I did thorough research on my university and even checked its validity according to the guidelines set by NMC. Hence, I never faced issues but since many students get duped by certain consultants in the name of admissions, discretion should be maintained by them,” Somya added.
“I think it’s good to caution students beforehand so that they don’t witness the same struggles we are going through,” said Bhumika Sharma, a student from Ningbo University. Sharma has not been attending online lectures as the majority of the students from her batch were not willing to continue with their semesters in the online mode, and the university suspended classes until they returned.
“Students who will attempt their National Exit Test exams in the future will face issues if they are pursuing their education from China. Even though I am not pursuing a medical course, the statement by UGC is also troubling for us,” said Pankaj Singh, an International Business Management student in China who resides in New Delhi.
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. On the sidelines of the meet, Jaishankar raised the issue of the return of Indian students to China. “Minister Wang Yi assured me that he would speak to the relevant authorities on this matter. He also recognised the particular concerns that medical students have in this difficult situation,” Jaishankar said after he met with Yi.
“When we became aware of the meeting, we decided to use the hashtags made for our campaign so that they will trend and draw attention to our concerns,” said Sharma, who along with hundreds of other students have been voicing their pleas on social media platforms, calling for a decision on their return to China.
