In a first, India helps students settle in at Canada universities
TORONTO: As the number of Indian students coming to Canada to study explodes, the Indian government is organising welcome ceremonies to help the newcomers settle down.
The inaugural event of this new initiative was held at the St George campus of the University of Toronto (UofT) on Wednesday evening, and the large gathering of students included those from its Scarborough and Mississauga campuses.
Explaining the objective behind the exercise, India’s consul general in Toronto, Dinesh Bhatia, said, “It is very important to connect with them and to make them aware that we exist for them. Whenever there is an issue, they often don’t know where to go and these students, and through them, many other students, will get to know they can reach out to us in case of any difficulty.”
A similar event is planned for next week at Seneca College, also in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). There are more than 125,000 international students from India studying at Canadian institutions of higher education, with nearly 40,000 arriving in the country for the school year that began this month.
Bhatia said the plan is to expand beyond GTA next year. He said this drive is part of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s “emphasis” on the welfare of Indian students abroad.
Wednesday’s event was also part of UofT’s orientation programme for international students. The consulate’s contact details, including its social media handles and emergency contact number, were provided to students in case they need to connect with it in an emergency.
They were requested to register on the external affairs ministry’s portal for such students, MADAD. Bhatia pointed out this was the first time any university in Canada conducted such a programme. Students attending the reception appeared enthused. Shreya Vohra, who is from Chandigarh said, “This is a good initiative. The students here are being put in direct contact with the people who can help them if needed.”