British High Commissioner to India, Julian Evans with Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smriti Zubin Irani -PTI
Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani is working on a strategy to evolve better educational relations with other countries and the government plans to establish a multi-country student exchange programme for broadening the horizon of students.
As part of this plan the minister has already had a detailed discussion with her officials and they have been asked to ensure formulation of new scholarship schemes for the same. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also stated repeatedly that the country’s education system should also learn from other countries and students should be exposed to new ideas.
Officials in the HRD ministry have also been tasked with preparing a detailed plan for exchange programmes with other countries and how to evolve a a programme to offer world class curriculum for the students here.
The process of expanding educational ties with other countries has already seen her meet with several foreign delegates like British high commissioner James David and she is understood to have taken up issue of problems faced by Indian students in the UK.
Ms Irani has also met German ambassador Michael Steiner and is understood to have raised the issue of further partnership in the field of education. Germany has already expressed its desire to develop an International Centre in social science in partnership with India.
She also met Bhutanese ambassador Vestop Namgyel to have discuss education as well.