Chandigarh: Taking the lead, former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Friday expressed serious concern over the recent changes made by the Canadian government to the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) regulations that made hundreds of students, mainly from the state, face chances of deportation despite spending hard-earned money of their parents.
He has sought the Indian government’s intervention. Jakhar said that these changes have left hundreds of Indian students facing uncertainty and severe mental distress, as many of them are from Punjab.
In a statement, BJP’s former lawmaker Jakhar said that these students enrolled in Canadian colleges and universities at a time when the PGWP rules were different. Students and their families invested their future, time, and lakhs of rupees based on the policy that was in effect at the time of admission. The sudden change in regulations has now cast serious doubts over their careers and future.
He said that while every country has the sovereign right to make policy changes, such decisions should not adversely affect students who enrolled under the previously applicable rules. Appropriate relief or a transitional arrangement should be provided for these students to ensure they are not subjected to unfair treatment.
Jakhar urged the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India to immediately take up the matter with the Canadian government and work through diplomatic channels to find a solution that safeguards the legitimate interests of the affected Indian students.
He further stated that Indian students pursuing higher education abroad are a valuable part of the nation’s human capital, and safeguarding their future is a shared responsibility.
Jakhar expressed hope that the Government of India will treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves, engage with the Canadian government at the earliest, and take effective steps to secure relief for the affected students.
(IANS)
