EMBASSY URGES STUDENTS IN U.S. TO COUNTER ‘BIAS’

NEW DELHI: The Indian embassy in Washington reached out to Indians studying in the US in an effort to help counter the purported “biased and negative narrative” against the country in the international media amid a devastating second wave of Covid pandemic.

The outreach was made through the embassy’s “Student Hub”, an official initiative that is meant to “engage Indian students studying in the United States in India’s development”.

The website describes it as a platform for students to “connect, collaborate, and converse”. In the section of the website detailing how the students can get involved, the embassy has invited Indian students in the US to “contribute their time and ideas for the upcoming Fall 2021 Verticals in the three core areas” – climate action, India in the news, and grassroots learnings.

According to screenshots of the website tweeted by several persons on Tuesday, including Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, the section seeking volunteers for “India in the news” stated: “If you are into current affairs or international affairs, if you are concerned about how India is portrayed in the media whether in print, online, or social media platforms, if you would like to bring to light such portrayals and course correct the current biased and negative narrative against India in the global scenarios, this is where you click.”

There was no word from Indian officials on the outreach to Indian students regarding foreign media’s portrayal of the country.