New Delhi: The UGC and the AICTE issued an advisory on Friday asking Indian nationals to not travel to Pakistan for pursuing higher education. The commission, in a notice, said that Indian nationals or overseas citizens of India with a degree from an educational institution in Pakistan “shall not be eligible for seeking employment or higher studies in India”. “However, migrants and their children who have acquired higher education degrees in Pakistan and have been awarded citizenship by India would be eligible for seeking employment in India after obtaining Security Clearance from MHA,” the notice added.
The joint advisory issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) comes within a month of the higher education regulator warning Indian students planning to pursue higher studies in China, saying it does not recognise “degree courses done only in online mode without prior approval”. The advisory against travelling to China for education came after the Chinese government suspended all visas since November 2020 because of COVID-19.
According to AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe, Indian students need to be advised to which institutions and countries they should travel for education so that they don’t land up with a degree without parity with Indian regulations. Echoing his thoughts, UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar said, “UGC and AICTE issue such public notices in the interest of Indian students who would like to pursue higher studies outside the country.” “In the recent past, we have seen how our students had to face difficulties because they could not go back to the foreign countries to continue their studies,” he said.