New Delhi:

India on Friday described the recent murder of three Indian students in Canada as “terrible tragedies” and said its high commission in Ottawa has taken up the matter of safety of Indians with the Canadian authorities.

The safety, security, and welfare of Indian nationals in Canada remains of utmost importance to us, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

New Delhi has demanded a thorough investigation into the killing of the three Indians.

“In the last week or so we have had unfortunate tragedies. Three Indian students have been murdered. We are saddened at these terrible tragedies that have struck our nationals in Canada,” Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the grieving families. Our High Commission and Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver are extending all possible help in the matter,” he said.

Jaiswal said the Indian missions in that country are in touch with the local authorities for thorough investigation of the incidents.

India’s call for safety of Indians in Canada and demand for a thorough investigation into the murders of three students came amid frosty ties between the two countries.

“Issues faced by them, especially Indian students, are raised by our high commission and Consulates with the relevant Canadian authorities on a regular basis,” he said.

“We have also issued an advisory for our nationals and Indian students to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant in view of the deteriorating security environment in Canada as a result of the growing incidence of hate crimes and criminal violence,” Jaiswal added.

According to official data, over 400,000 Indian students are studying in Canada.

In October, India-Canada ties nosedived sharply after Canada linked Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and some other diplomats to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.

India strongly rejected all the allegations made by Ottawa in connection to the case and subsequently recalled the high commissioner. The Canadian government had said the Indian envoy and a few other diplomats were expelled from the country.

New Delhi expelled Canadian Charge d’Affaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats following the allegations by Canada.

Asked about reports in Canadian media about instances of the Indian high commission in Ottawa refusing visas to certain individuals, Jaiswal described them as a “disinformation” campaign.

“We have seen the said media report. It is yet another example of Canadian media’s disinformation to malign India,” he said.

“Granting of Indian visas is our sovereign function and we have the legitimate right to deny visas to those who undermine our territorial integrity,” he said.

“The commentary that we see in the Canadian media on this matter is akin to foreign interference in India’s sovereign affairs,” Jaiswal added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The American Dream has always attracted students from developing nations and Chinese students have always dominated the international student population in US universities. 

However, recent statistics indicate a significant shift in this trend. According to the US State Department and the Institute of International Education, Indian students have surpassed Chinese students as the largest group of international students in American higher education – for the first time since 2009.

India made up 29% of international students, but China was still a major source, constituting about one-fourth of international students.

It is worthwhile to note that 40% of Indians are under 25 which is promising for the country’s economy as compared to China, where the population has just begun to age.

According to a report by CNN, experts attribute this decline to significant shifts in both policy and public perception. Many Chinese students and families are concerned about safety, racism, and discrimination in the US. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated these concerns, with a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and racism.

The downward spiral in US-China relations has also contributed to the decline. The Trump administration’s policies, including the cancellation of the Fulbright exchange program with China and the introduction of a ban on graduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students from several Chinese universities, have made it difficult for Chinese students to secure visas.

The decline in Chinese students in the US doesn’t necessarily mean there’s less appetite for an overseas education. Instead, students and parents are exploring alternative options. Countries like Canada, the UK, and Australia have introduced more immigration-friendly policies, making them attractive alternatives to the US.

India’s growing population and increasing demand for higher education have contributed to the surge in Indian students in the US. With over 331,600 Indian students in the US last academic year, India has become the largest source of international students in American higher education.

The allure of an American education may be wearing off for some Chinese students. With improving educational quality in China and growing concerns about safety and racism in the US, some students are opting to stay in China or explore alternative destinations.
 

Mumbai:

Indian student contingents have emerged with flying colours at prestigious international Olympiads in Biology, Maths, Physics and Chemistry held this month, earning plaudits from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other bigwigs, officials said here on Wednesday.

The participating teams went through the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) here and bagged several medals and honours for the country, including seven won by Maharashtra students.

It started with the 35th International Biology Olympiad (IBO – July 7-13) held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

The Indian team bagged one gold (Vedant Sakre of Mumbai) and three silvers (Ishan Pednekar of Ratnagiri; Shrijith Sivakumar of Chennai and Yashaswi Kumar of Bareilly).

This was followed by the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO – July 11-22) held in Bath, United Kingdom.

The Indian contingents bagged four golds (Adhitya M. V. Ganesh of Pune; Kanav Talwar of Greater NOIDA; Rushil Mathur of Mumbai and Anando Bhadur of Guwahati), while Arjun Gupta of Delhi got a silver medal and Siddharth Choppara of Pune secured an Honourable Mention.

Next was the 54th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO – July 21-29), held in Isfahan, Iran.

The Indian team secured 2 golds (Rhythm Kedia of Raipur and Ved Lahoti of Indore), plus 3 silvers (Akarshraj Sahay of Nagpur; Bhavya Tiwari of NOIDA and Jaiveer Singh of Kota).

Finally, the 56th International Chemistry Olympiad (IchO – July 21-30) was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Indian contingent secured a gold (Devesh P. Bhaiya of Jalgaon), 2 silvers (Avaneesh Bansal of Mumbai and Harshin Posina of Hyderabad) while Kashyap Khandelwal of Mumbai got a bronze medal.

The Mumbai-based HBCSE – a national centre of the TIFR – is a premier institution for research and development in science, technology and mathematics education.

It is also India’s nodal centre or Olympiad programmes in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and junior sciences which attract the participation of students from across the country.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Agartala/Guwahati:

The India-Bangladesh border would remain open for 24 hours to facilitate the students and other people of India and other countries to enter from the trouble-torn neighbouring country, where the situation remains extremely volatile due to the protests on quota issue for the last three weeks.

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson said that Tripura Frontier Inspector General (IG) of the force, Patel Piyush Purushottam Das, and other senior officials are in close contact with the Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Bangladesh Police to evacuate the India-bound students and other people.

“The BSF is closely monitoring the situation across the border and troops are on high alert,” the spokesman told IANS, adding that the Tripura Frontier IG has assured all possible assistance to the students and other people entering India through various checkposts.

He said that the BSF has made all necessary arrangements including refreshments and transport at the check posts to facilitate smooth arrival and further movement of these students to their destinations.

Students of India and other countries who are studying in Bangladesh are returning to India as the students’ agitation has now become violent in the neighbouring country.

According to BSF sources, over 600 students from India, Nepal, and Bhutan along with some stranded tourists from trouble torn Bangladesh returned to India on Saturday through the checkposts of Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya along the border with the neighbouring country.

Over 600 students, mostly Indian, returned to India on Friday through the Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya borders.

“The students of India and other countries are mainly coming from Dhaka, Comilla and Brahmanbaria. The Indian students belong to northeastern states, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir,” the BSF spokesman said.

Five Indian states — West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) share a 4,096-km border with Bangladesh.

Officials from the state governments of northeastern states along with police and BSF officials are camping in the various checkposts in Tripura, Assam and Meghalaya to receive the students and other people from Bangladesh.

The High Commission in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna are available on helpline numbers for any assistance required by the Indian nationals.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in Delhi that around 15,000 Indian nationals, including 8,500 students, reside in Bangladesh.

He said that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is monitoring the situation, while the High Commission in Dhaka will provide regular updates on the situation there.

Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry has urged Indian nationals in Bangladesh to follow the advisory issued by the High Commission in Dhaka and to be in touch with the High Commission.

Bangladesh has announced the imposition of a curfew and the deployment of military forces after police failed to quell days of deadly unrest that has spread throughout the country.

Violence erupted in the country after protests by students demanding reforms in the quota system for government jobs.

The clashes between student demonstrators and police have killed at least 105 people so far.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Agartala:

The worsening situation in Bangladesh, which has seen widespread protests for weeks, has forced Indian students to return home using any available means, with over 300 crossing through border points in the northeast on Friday alone. Over 100 people have died as students across Bangladesh have clashed with security forces and pro-government activists over the reintroduction of reservation in government jobs.  

The protests, which have been on for at least three weeks, escalated significantly on Monday, when violence broke out at Dhaka University. Six people were killed the next day, prompting the government to order the closure of universities across the country. 

Many of the students who returned were pursuing MBBS degrees and most of them were from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Meghalaya and Jammu and Kashmir. Two key routes used by the students to return on Friday were the international land port at Akhurah near Agartala in Tripura and the international land port at Dawki in Meghalaya. 

The students said they were waiting and watching but finally decided to temporarily leave Bangladesh after a near-total shutdown of the internet was put into effect on Thursday and telephone services were also severely impacted, effectively cutting them off from their families. 

“I am a second-year student at the Marine City Medical College and Hospital in Chittagong. The situation is getting worse and many restrictions have been put in place, which is why we have returned. Many other students have also come back. The internet is not working and we were not able to get in touch with our families. We could not get flight tickets and had to take the road route to Agartala instead of flying home,” said Aamir from Haryana. 

Mohammed Faiz Abdullah Khan, another student from the same college, said things were normal as far as they were concerned until Tuesday, when they were asked not to leave their accommodations or the hostel premises.

“That’s when we found out a quota movement was on. College authorities said the institution would remain shut and, when we spoke to the principal, he suggested that we could return to India if we were feeling insecure. People at the Indian Embassy also gave us the same advice and asked us to get in touch with them if we found it difficult to arrange transportation. We took a cab to the Agartala border and have just crossed over,” Mr Khan said. 

Several Indian students reached home taking a six-hour-long journey through a taxi, and a security escort.

In Meghalaya, officials said over 200 Indians crossed the border because of the protests. A few students from Bhutan and Nepal have also entered India.

An official said 67 of the students were from Meghalaya and seven from Bhutan, adding that the state government was in touch with the Bangladesh High Commission and the Bangladesh Land Port Authority to facilitate the safe return of Indians. 

Quota Row

At least 104 people have been killed and over 2,500 have been injured in the clashes between students, government supporters and security forces. The protests began last month after a high court reinstated 30 per cent reservation in government jobs for family members of freedom fighters and veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Independence.

Critics of the quota – which was later suspended by the Bangladesh Supreme Court but the ruling has been challenged by the government – point out that it benefits only the ruling Awami League party led by Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Ms Hasina has been accused of using the reservation to reward party loyalists, and protesters argue that their job prospects are hindered because of it. 

On Wednesday, Ms Hasina appeared on television to address protesters, who responded a day later by setting fire to a building owned by the state broadcaster which had telecast the speech. 

Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi, Indian student in Chicago, has been reported missing in since May 2. Photo: X/@amjedmbt

An Indian student has been reported missing in Chicago since May 2. The Consulate General of India in Chicago said it was in touch with the police and Indian diaspora to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi. In a post on X, the Consulate General of India in Chicago stated, “The Consulate is deeply concerned learning that Indian student Rupesh Chandra Chintakindi is incommunicado since 2nd May. Consulate is in touch with the police and the Indian diaspora hoping to locate/reestablish contact with Rupesh.”

The Chicago police, in a statement, have urged people to provide information to the police if they locate Mr. Rupesh Chintakindi. According to the statement, he was missing from the 4300 block of N Sheridan Road. Earlier in April, an Indian student who has been missing since March this year was found dead in the U.S. state of Ohio, the Consulate General of India in New York said.

The Consulate General of India in New York said it is “anguished” to learn about the death of Mohammed Abdul Arfath and is in touch with local authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into his death”. Anguished to learn that Mohammed Abdul Arfath, for whom search operation was underway, was found dead in Cleveland, Ohio.

“Our deepest condolences to Mr. Mohammed Arfath’s family”, the Consulate General of India in New York said in a post on X. Arafat, a native of Hyderabad, went to the U.S. for his Master’s degree in IT from Cleveland University in May 2023 but had been missing since March 7 this year. His father, Mohd. Saleem, said that after ten days, they received a phone call from an unidentified person who claimed Mr. Arafat had been kidnapped and demanded a $1,200 ransom for his release.

Recently, the Indian community has seen a rise in such tragedies. In April, Uma Satya Sai Gadde, an Indian student in Cleveland, Ohio, died and a police investigation is underway.

Earlier this February, an Indian student faced a brutal attack in Chicago. Following the attack, the Indian Consulate in Chicago stated that it was in touch with the victim, Syed Mazahir Ali, as well as his wife in India.

New Delhi:

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Friday, leading educational consultant Viral Doshi said that despite the apprehensions following the India-Canada diplomatic row, Canada will remain a preferred destination for Indian students. He said employment opportunities in the country are also unlikely to be affected.

In a freewheeling discussion, Mr Doshi also spoke about the UK emerging as a top destination for Indian students and how he has been telling students to come back and work in India, which is a “happening place” today. 

Given the current India-Canada face-off and the diplomatic spat, will going to Canada for higher studies be difficult for Indian students? 

We need to put things in perspective. If you look at Canada, over the years, you have seen an exponential increase in the number of students applying to Canada. Why is that? 1) It is a very friendly nation. They welcome you with open arms. 2) There are lots of facilities for research and extracurricular activities. 3) Job opportunities are tremendous; and the fourth attraction is to get that permanent residence to settle down in Canada. As a result, Canada has become a very popular destination in the last 10 years.

But, lately, because of the political fallout, a lot of people have been asking me what is going to happen in Canada? I still believe it’s a hiccup. I think things will improve. If I talk to students at the ground level in Canada, they are extremely happy. The political fallout has not impacted them at all. I think we read more about it in our papers out here, so we feel that the impact is there.

But, answering your question, as students are now getting ready to apply for next year, there is a bit of apprehension. Parents and students both are concerned about what will happen – will the visa come on time, will we get there, will our children be welcomed out there, will we get a job after that or not? These are apprehensions. I think, in spite of all these apprehensions, people are still applying. There may be a slight drop in applications, but people are still applying because Canada is a very favoured destination.

So what they are going to do is they are going to apply. There may be a small drop, but they will  have a wait-and watch attitude. And, sometime by May-June, when the decisions come out and they see what the political scenario is, I think then they will take this issue. But I don’t see a major drop in applications to Canada at all. I think, on the contrary, people will still apply to Canada, and I think who we must give credit to are the Canadian universities. The admission directors have really reached out to students and parents, both through emails and seminars, and made them very comfortable. (They have said) “Look here, this is a hiccup. It’s not impacting college life at all. So please do apply”. 

I think parents eventually want an assurance. That assurance is coming from the Canadian colleges. So I really, honestly, don’t feel it’s going to be too much of a change, believe me. But yes, people will talk about it in the cocktail circuit – What should we do? What we shouldn’t do. But, eventually, when it comes to applications, people will still apply but have a wait-and-watch attitude and see whether the visas are coming on time. If they do get the visas, they will definitely be going.

But, if not Canada, then where else for Indian students? We know the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia are popular choices. But do you see students branching out beyond these options to, let’s say, Europe and other countries?

If you look at overseas education, I would say between USA, Canada and UK, they must be taking 90% of students who are going overseas today, and the balance 10% would have gone to Australia, maybe to Europe, to Singapore, to Hong Kong, to Dubai. But still, I believe, things are not going to change so rapidly that people will be looking at other countries. 

But yes, people are looking at other countries. To some extent, Europe is getting a little more popular right now because of the cost. (It’s) Very friendly. But Europe has its disadvantages of being a little more insular. In colleges you study in English, but outside it’s in a foreign language. The networking in European colleges has become a bit of a challenge because, again, it’s populated with the local population out there. That does become a challenge. And eventually, when you go to college, you also go for the networking, isn’t it? You also go for the whole atmosphere out there. This is sometimes a bit of a challenge in the European colleges.

But in Europe, Netherlands is becoming quite popular. France is also getting out there. Germany, for people who want to do technical education, is looking quite popular. But it’s not really exponentially increased (like) what you see in other countries. Today, when you tell me you want to go overseas… As I said, 90% will go to USA, Canada and UK. And if students will not go to Canada, they will look at UK as a very serious option for two reasons – in UK the cost is as much as Canada, it’s not as expensive as America; you finish in three years and the job placements in UK are fabulous now. I think the whole scenario has changed with the new visa regime. So UK is going to become a very strong destination. 

USA will increase, but education in the USA is very expensive in the private colleges. But there will be an increase in US admissions also. People are going to play safe now. They will apply to Canada. They will also apply to colleges in the USA and UK and a few of them will also apply to colleges in Singapore. 

Singapore is a good destination to go to, but the challenge in Singapore is you have limited colleges. You’ve got SMU (Singapore Management University), NUS (National University of Singapore) and NTU (Nanyang Technological University). So not too many choices out there. 

So Europe does become a destination. But, when I say Europe, actually it’s going to be more of UK. UK will definitely see a substantial increase in applicants applying out there. Because of the  positive impact of the visa regime out there, more and more people have been looking at UK over the last five years, which was not the case before the new visa regime set in. So I don’t think new countries… they will see an upsurge, but not as substantial as the UK will see and Canada will see. But, believe me, Canada will not have a drop in applications. It’ll be a wait-and watch review and take a decision by next June, July. 

For students already in Canada, what’s next? You have already mentioned that this diplomatic row has not penetrated classrooms, thankfully. Is it going to be difficult for Indians to get jobs in Canada? 

Honestly, this is something that we feel, in our minds, that this is going to impact us. I think that Canadians have not taken this… I don’t think the political situation has impacted recruitment out there because they all know the Indian students are hardworking. Academically they have been very strong, so they do become an attraction for every company. So, I honestly don’t believe this political fallout will impact employment at all. And, I don’t think companies even go down to that level to say “oh, because of this fallout we will not take you”. 

I think Canadians are very magnanimous. If you look at… just remove the political fallout, I think students will always be welcomed out there. They will be very happy out there. I don’t think the job placements will be impacted. It’s all in our minds right now. I think as things settle down, people will see that, really, it does not impact employment at all. It will not impact employment.  Because Canadians are very fair.

If you go to Canada, you will see how fair they are, how welcoming they are. Even today, I had somebody visiting Canada who said it’s just normal. Nothing has happened. Nothing has changed in the ground reality. 

Further clearing the air around the ground reality in Canada, should students in Canada apply elsewhere for jobs after they finish their studies? 

The question is where? You require visas to study in any country, isn’t it? So you are not going to get a visa to USA or to the UK to go and work out there. Honestly, I’ve been telling students for the last year or two to come back to India. You can’t get a better place than India. Why should they work anywhere else? India is a happening place today. This is a place for students to come back to. And if you really want to go back to Canada, maybe work for a year or two out here and go back for your post-graduate degree there. 

Hopefully, by then, the situation will be much better, I’m sure. And you’ll get the job that you want, eventually, out there. So I don’t think there should be a knee-jerk reaction. Jobs will be good out there. And, if they don’t, come back to India, young people, this is where the action is for the next 10-15 years. 

So do you think employers often look favourably at candidates who have completed their education at prestigious institutions abroad? 

Not at all. I think Indian colleges have come of age. Look at the marvellous colleges that we have in this country. From Ashoka… to NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies). They’re fabulous. And IIMs and IITs. So, if you ask any recruiter in this country, given a choice… if you have two students, one with an overseas education and one from India, they will always prefer the Indian one. Why? They are more adaptable. They are more malleable and they are able to fit into the whole working system out here. 

So that’s why when students go abroad, I tell them go there for the education. Don’t think you’ll have any distinct advantage when you come back to this country. Yes, you’ll have a good education, but you’ll be on a par with any other student who has gone to a good Indian university. 

So the advantage of going abroad which was there maybe 20 years ago, I think with the coming of age of our education system, I think they will be on a par or… to some extent, slight 55-45 preference to Indian students. Talk to recruiters, they will tell you the same thing, they will prefer a student from here than one who has gone overseas. But going overseas is not necessary to have an advantage out here. It’s for the education, the overall holistic education that you get when you go overseas. 

Well, Mr Doshi, your parting short for all those students who may be interested in or prepping their college applications to study abroad this year? 

I would say keep your doors open. Don’t restrict yourself to one particular country. Let’s see how things evolve. Canada will not change. It will be the same as it was before. Please apply everywhere. Keep your doors open and take a call sometime in April-May next year, when the situation, hopefully, will improve and you get all the results coming in.