Indian students who were compelled to leave China due to the Covid-19 pandemic two years ago are now permitted to return and complete their education, stated the Indian Embassy in China.
The decision was made following a meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Thousands of Indian students have been left stranded due to the disturbance in their academic careers.
However, it was stated that the procedure won’t be open for all and that there is no guarantee that all students would be permitted to return to their classes because of the restrictions in the process.
The return of the students will be allowed on a need-based basis. The embassy will compile a list of those students who must return to their colleges and universities immediately.
After that, the list will be shared with the Chinese for consideration. The embassy has urged Indian students to fill out a Google form by May 8 to initiate the procedure.
“Once the collated information is shared with the Chinese side, they would consult relevant Chinese departments to verify the list and indicate whether the identified students can travel to China to complete the course.
The coordination process would be carried out in a time-bound manner,” the embassy said.
“The Chinese side has also conveyed that eligible students should unconditionally abide by the Covid-10 prevention measures and agree to bear all expenses related to Covid-19 prevention measures by themselves,” the statement added.
The ministry of external affairs expressed concern over the future of such students on April 28, 202 and said Indian officials were engaged with Chinese officials regarding this issue.
A spokesperson for the Indian External Affairs Ministry, Arindam Bagchi, told a weekly media briefing that the Indian side was concerned about the students’ condition, especially when students from other nations were being permitted back into China.
China had closed its border since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 but relaxed it in March 2021 for certain categories, which did not include students.
