The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that India will raise concerns over delays in student visa approvals for Indian students during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Australia. The issue is set to be a key part of discussions between the two leaders.
MEA Confirms Visa Discussions on Agenda
Responding to an ANI query on whether a visa cap on Indian students in Australia would be discussed, Joint Secretary (Indo-Pacific), MEA, Vishwesh Negi stated that Australia remains a popular destination for Indian students. He emphasized that India is actively engaging Canberra to ensure genuine students and professionals are not adversely affected by visa-related issues.
“Australia remains a very popular destination for Indian students... We are aware of the concerns of the Indian students facing delays in approval of the student visa applications, including various other aspects as part of the process of admission. We continue to remain engaged with the Australian government to ensure that the visa process for Indian students does not reduce opportunities for genuine students and also professionals to move from India to pursue their interests in Australia. We are engaged with Australia on this issue, and it will be part of the discussion between the leaders,” Negi said.
PM Modi's Three-Nation Visit Itinerary
Briefing the media, Secretary (East) in the MEA, Rudrendra Tandon, outlined PM Modi's three-nation visit schedule: Indonesia on July 8-9, Australia on July 10, and New Zealand on July 11. In Melbourne, the Prime Minister will participate in the third India-Australia Annual Summit, focusing on critical minerals, cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, and emerging technologies.
“In Melbourne, the Prime Minister will participate in the third India-Australia Annual Summit process... The conversations will cover emerging areas of our bilateral relations, in particular the critical minerals, the cybersecurity domain, supply chain resilience, emerging technologies, and so on. After Australia, the Prime Minister will be in New Zealand, where he will hold discussions with Prime Minister Luxon... The visit to New Zealand will be the first visit by the Indian Prime Minister in 40 years,” Tandon said.
India's Stance on Khalistan Supporters and Terrorism
On a question regarding Khalistan supporters in Australia, Tandon reiterated India's consistent position against terrorism and violent extremism in all international engagements. He stressed that the international community must be reminded that terrorism remains a serious threat to international peace and security.
“In all our international engagements, it's on record that we take very, very strong positions against terrorism and violent extremism. There is no doubt about that. We do feel that the international community has to be continuously reminded that terrorism and violent extremism remain a serious threat to international peace and security. We also have to repeat ourselves that terrorism is nothing short of a crime against humanity. These are discussions we have everywhere, including with our very close partners... I am quite confident that the countries the Prime Minister is visiting, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand, have equally strong views on the issue of terrorism and violent extremism,” Tandon said.
Diaspora Engagements Across All Three Countries
Highlighting outreach to the Indian community, Tandon noted that interactions with the diaspora would be part of PM Modi's engagements in all three nations. The strong demand from the Indian community has made diaspora events a standard feature of his visits.
“The demand from the Indian community is always so strong that it has become an almost standard feature of all his visits. Because there is a significant diaspora in all three countries that he is visiting, there will certainly be a diaspora component. It will be formatted differently in different countries,” he said.
Indonesia Leg: Cultural Collaboration at Prambanan Temple
On the Indonesia leg, Tandon said PM Modi will visit Jakarta and Yogyakarta, where India and Indonesia will collaborate on conservation work at the Prambanan Temple complex. The visit underscores the focus on the eastern maritime zones of the Indian Ocean and India's Act East engagement.
“The Prime Minister will be visiting Indonesia on the 8th and 9th July. After that, he will be in Melbourne, Australia, on 10th July, and then New Zealand on 11th July. In Indonesia, the main place of engagement is the capital, Jakarta, but the Prime Minister will also be visiting the cultural centre or historic city of Yogyakarta, where he will go to the Prambanan Temple complex... India and Indonesia will be collaborating on the conservation work there... The focus has shifted to the eastern maritime zones of the Indian Ocean and our Act East engagement,” Tandon said.
