Education Department Will Take-Up Visa Row With MEA And MHRD: Dr.Cheema

Chandigarh, April 10, 2016: The Punjab Education Department has taken serious note of the reports originating in certain quarters that the students who have passed their 10+2 examination from the Punjab School Education Board would not be issued Visas to study in Australia from now onwards.
Taking a very serious view of this issue, Punjab Education Minister Dr.Daljit Singh Cheema today convened a meeting of senior functionaries of the Department and discussed the issue with them in great detail. The Department decided to immediately take-up the matter with the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Disclosing more, Dr. Cheema said that a detailed D.O. has been prepared and sent to both the Ministries with request to take-up this matter with the Australian High Commission on a priority basis as it concerns with the future of scores of students. The Minister also disclosed that the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) is one of the best Boards in the Country and till date thousands of students who have passed out from the Board are studying in different parts of the world and excelling in their respective fields thereby bringing laurels to both the Board and their State. The Board is strictly following the National Curriculum Framework - 2005 and is a member of the Council of Board of Secondary Education (COBSE).
Vouching for the transparency and academic brilliance of the Board, Dr. Cheema also said that till today no complaint has ever been received from any country and this is the first time that such a situation has come. Though multiple reasons have been given for the rejection of the Visa including capacity of the student to pursue his education in Australia keeping in view his family resources and lack of ample evidence to suggest that student would be back in India after education.
The Minister further elaborated that still the Department has taken-up this issue at the highest level, so that both the future of the students and the fair and impartial name of the PSEB not be tarnished.
Dr. Cheema, making an appeal to the students, said that if any student of the Board faces any difficulty regarding Visa then he should immediately bring the matter to the notice of the Chairperson of the Board, so that this matter is further raised at the highest level at the earliest.
During the meeting, PSEB Chairperson, Dr. Tajinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Director General School Education Pardeep Aggarwal, DPI (Secondary) S. Balbir Singh Dhol and Director (Academic) Mrs. Manjit Kaur were present.