New Delhi, March 2 (ANI): Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) P. Kumaran on Monday said that India will extend all possible assistance to Indian students in Canada, as discussions around student mobility featured during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit.
Speaking at a special briefing on the official visit of the Canadian prime minister to India, Kumaran said Prime Minister Carney informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that approximately 400,000 Indian students are currently studying in Canada. He noted that this figure is about twice the number of Indian students in the United States and four times the number in the United Kingdom.
“Our consulates and our High Commission are in touch with our students and our community bodies, and they will take all necessary steps to work with Canadian security agencies and law enforcement to provide all possible assistance to students who face any difficulties in Canada,” Kumaran said.
He acknowledged that domestic political pressures in Canada have led to concerns about the impact of large numbers of foreign students on jobs, infrastructure, and public services.
“There has been broad public pressure in Canada that too many foreign students put pressure on the job market, infrastructure, and citizen services. As part of that, they appear to have moved in a direction where restrictions are coming in regarding the number of students they are willing to take in the future,” he said.
Kumaran added that decisions regarding student intake are sovereign matters for each country.
“It is up to every country to decide how much student intake their systems can handle and to make assessments based on their own capacities. Our aim is to take advantage of high-quality Canadian educational institutions and find ways to partner with them,” he said.
He noted that Prime Minister Modi invited Canadian universities to establish campuses in India and highlighted the potential for expanded research and development partnerships.
“The prime minister also invited Canadian universities to set up campuses in India. There are R&D partnerships that have been discussed. These are multiple alternative approaches being explored. At some point, if opportunities open up for our youngsters to go back in numbers comparable to what we saw in the past, that would be welcome,” he said.
Kumaran also said Canada is currently undertaking reforms in its visa and immigration policies, citing pressures on housing and medical services.
“We understand that Canada is undertaking reforms in its visa and immigration policies. There is pressure on medical and housing services, but mobility is something both sides are working on. There is an education MoU, and we continue to discuss multiple MoUs that address mobility pathways between India and Canada,” he added. (ANI)
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