The Indian embassy in Beijing has posted a detailed FAQ section on its website aimed at informing numerous Indian students studying in China about the procedures for attesting their documents and degrees obtained from Chinese universities. Released on Wednesday, the FAQ addresses a wide range of questions regarding the required documentation for degrees earned at Chinese universities. This initiative comes as many Indian students from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 graduating batches are preparing to return to India in June and July upon completing their studies.
The FAQ covers various topics such as the fees levied by the embassy and Indian consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou for attesting these documents, the timeframe required for attestation including expedited processing, the necessity of embassy attestation for acceptance in India, and the procedure for verifying documents forwarded by Indian medical councils to the embassy.
The FAQ was issued by the embassy after it held its first interactive session last month with the Indian students who suffered the most during the three-year COVID-19 period following China’s visa bans prolonging their academic periods for several years. Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat and Counsellor Nitinjeet Singh interacted with the students and heard their grievances and experiences during the meeting.
Amit Sharma, Second Secretary (Education) at the Embassy, conducted a presentation detailing the range of services provided by the Embassy, along with guidelines for students studying in China. Prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, there were more than 23,000 Indian students, primarily studying medicine, enrolled in Chinese universities. Currently, officials estimate the number has decreased to approximately 8,000 students.
Chinese medical universities became preferred destinations in the past as private medical colleges in India charged exorbitant fees while admissions to government institutions became extremely competitive. After they graduate from Chinese colleges, they have to take the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination in India to qualify for practice in India. When COVID-19 struck China, most of the Indian students left for home at the height of lockdowns and could not return until 2023 due to China’s visa bans and restrictions.
China began permitting stranded students to return after the Indian Embassy, supported by ongoing media coverage highlighting the students' challenges, engaged with Chinese authorities to urgently facilitate their return for resuming their studies.
