Question : Advisory to Indian Students

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has issued an advisory to students that they should check the credibility of educational institutions in Northern Cyprus;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has also asked the students not to go to places where India does not have diplomatic presence;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) the number of countries where India does not have diplomatic presence; and

(f) the measures taken by the Government to have diplomatic presence in these countries?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI M. J. AKBAR)

(a) & (b) Yes. The Ministry of External Affairs issued on 16 May, 2016 an Advisory for Indian Students facing problems in Universities in northern Cyprus. Details are given in the Annex.

(c) No such advice has been issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

(d) Not applicable.

(e) India has resident diplomatic presence in 123 countries. In countries where there are no resident Indian diplomatic Missions, resident Indian Missions in neighbouring countries are concurrently accredited in most cases.

(f) The decision to open a new Mission depends on a variety of factors including the level of bilateral economic, political and people-to-people engagement, size of the Diaspora and nature of reciprocal diplomatic presence in India from the country concerned. The Ministry continuously evaluates requirement for new Missions/Posts abroad in consultation with all stakeholders.