Task force for students' visa issues being set up: Pokhriyal

Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Tuesday said the Centre is setting up a task force to address visa-related issues of foreign students.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a national conference on 'Destination India - Making India the preferred hub of education, organised by Indian Council For Culture Relations in association with Symbiosis International University and Savitribai Phule Pune University.

"We are soon setting up a task force comprising ICCR, AICTE, UGC, officials from Foreign Affairs ministry and HRD to redress issues related to visa among others foreign students," he said.

Suggestions from stakeholders such as teachers, students, institutes, government, elected representatives, government officials, village committees etc have been received on the new education policy and the draft is in the final stage, Pokhriyal said.

The HRD minister said India has been a 'vishwa guru' (world leader) due to ancient universities like Takshila, Nalanda, and foreign students who come to India should go back with our knowledge, science, research, the ancient traditions.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants India to emerge as education power centre and the HRD ministry was working on several fronts to achieve the goal.

The country's heritage should be promoted in order to attract foreign students, Pokhriyal said.