IIT-Bombay allows Afghani students to stay on campus

The Taliban have taken over nearly all of Afghanistan. Here Taliban fighters are seen driving an Afghan National Army (ANA) vehicle through the streets of Laghman province on Sunday. Pic/AFP

The Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay (IIT-B) has decided to allow accommodation for its students from Afghanistan holding scholarships from ICCR, on campus, considering the situation in their country.

With an almost war-like situation with the Taliban taking over nearly all of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American and NATO troops, students from the country are worried about the future. IIT-B is one of some institutes of higher education in India which have Afghani students. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) had started an initiative of scholarships to these students' who fear losing out on good higher education opportunities if they cannot leave their country soon.

Director of IIT-B Prof. Subhasis Chaudhuri recently announced the initiative through a social media post. "We offered admission to quite a few students from Afghanistan in the masters programme this year under scholarships from ICCR. Because of online instructions, they were participating in the class from home. However, due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions in their homeland, they wanted to leave their country and join the hostels on campus. Although we have approved their request to come to the campus as a special case, we are not sure how late it is for them to pursue their dreams. We hope that they are all safe and can join us soon," he wrote.

Also read: Afghan students at Jawaharlal Nehru University fear to go back, seek visa extension

As per information provided by Prof. Amit Agrawal, dean, International Relations at IIT-Bombay, there are a total of 11 Afghani students. "Nine students were admitted this year. The two students from the previous year are already on campus. Since these students are ICCR sponsored, the ICCR Mumbai office is working closely with the Indian Embassy in Kabul to issue visas to them."

There is a committee at IIT Bombay which will ensure safe and comfortable accommodation for these students once they arrive on campus. The committee will follow the standard operating procedure to ensure complete safety.

"These Afghani students through their training at IIT-Bombay, like our other alumni, will play crucial leadership roles in developing their country once the current nightmare ends. These international students later in life will become the greatest ambassadors of our country. It is imperative that these students and their families, along with others, are safe today. They are in our prayers," said Chaudhuri.