• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

The Indian National Congress on Wednesday has questioned the silence in India on US President Donald Trump’s decision affecting Indian students in US. The INC said that China has reacted strongly on the issue but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar remained ‘totally quiet’ on the development. "President Trump has made his intentions clear. China has reacted strongly regarding Chinese students. But not surprisingly, our PM and EAM have kept totally quiet," Congress' Jairam Ramesh said. 

Congress General Secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh pointed out that India students who went to US in earlier year face uncertainty while those planning to go US and pursue their dreams may never get to fulfill their aspirations. "These students, plus those who went in earlier years, face an uncertain future. Large numbers of students planning to go in 2025 may never get to see their aspirations fulfilled," Ramesh said on X.

ALSO READ: Tier-2 Cities Power Real Estate Growth, Lucknow Emerges As Top Performer

Quoting data from the Ministry of External Affairs, Ramesh said that approximately 3,37,630 Indian students went to the USA for higher studies in 2024 and about a third of the foreign students on American campuses are from India. Drawing connection between india’s hard earned money and Trump’s decision, Ramesh said that some three-and-a-half lakh Indian families invested their savings or borrowed for the education of their children in the US. 

"They are completely silent on President Trump's claims on having Operation Sindoor stopped after just four days and they have not said a word of concern on how Indian students and their families are being affected badly by President Trump's actions," Ramesh said, slamming the government.

Last Thursday, India said that it expects US to consider Indian student’s Visa request on merit basis as the concern over the Trump administration halting new student visa interviews has been growing. 

The changes effected by the US in its visa regime have triggered widespread uncertainty among students world-wide, including in India.

There have been concerns among the students planning to pursue studies in the US over the Trump administration's plan to expand social media vetting of student visa applicants.
With Input From PTI