Students from Afghanistan who have recently graduated are facing a dilemma as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarships, of which these students were beneficiaries, have come to and end. This, they say, has given rise to financial concerns. And what has compounded the problem, students opine, is the fact that their student visas do not permit them to work.
ICCR’s special scholarship scheme for Afghan nationals provides for stipends of up to ₹25,000, and house rent allowance of up to ₹6,500 per student per month, to those pursuing undergraduate degrees and are post-doctoral fellows.
Khanullah Behrooz is one such student. Upon completion of his MBA from Osmania University recently, he received the last of this ICCR stipend instalment – ₹26,500 – in September. He is on his own now.
‘Govt. undecided’
“We sent a list of about 70 students, of which 10 or 15 had financed education themselves, to the ICCR. We requested the government if they can extend our scholarship. It seems they have not decided anything yet. The problem is that we are on student visas and cannot work here. We are waiting for scholarships to be extended so that we can pursue a PhD. If they grant us permission to get a job here, we will work,” he says.
Mr Behrooz points out that the situation in Afghanistan has made it difficult, if not impossible, for their families to send funds to India.
Yousaf Khanmirzai, who has been living in the city for three years, shares a similar story. After completing his BBA from Nizam College, his scholarship of ₹24,500 per month ended. His family, he shares, is not in a position to support him at this juncture. “The situation is critical. And it is difficult to go back [to Afghanistan],” he says.
While Mr Behrooz has received a visa extension, there are others such as Ahmad Rashad Rawnaq, who is pursuing a degree in engineering from Osmania University, who are all set to apply.
“We have to submit a bonafide certificate from the university, along with other documents. I plan to apply for an extension tomorrow,” he says.
