ICCR to launch India Alumni Portal for foreign students

New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on April 9 would be launching an 'India Alumni Portal' as a platform to connect with foreign students around the world who have studied in India, officials said on Thursday.

Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar will address the event with a video message, while Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi will launch the portal in the presence of president of ICCR, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in fact, has recently emphasised on creating an effective ICCR India alumni network to engage them and keep them connected and updated on a dynamic India.

It is in line with PM Modi's vision that ICCR has developed the India Alumni Portal with the aim to connect all foreign scholars who have studied in India including ICCR scholars who can be India's best ambassadors, offering invaluable soft projection across their personal and professional lives.

In a statement, the ICCR said many students who have studied in India are in senior positions in their countries or in influential global roles, and are contributing towards spreading positive messages about India and adding to India's soft power globally.

"The portal is to be a single platform for all past and present foreign scholars to register, interact, maintain their Indian linkages and remain anchored India. It will also facilitate continuity and re-connecting with many past scholars and offer a single platform for all past and present scholars to register, interact, share conversations and make contributions. Indian missions abroad will also harness these contacts in various way," the ICCR said.

As part of the development of the portal and to engage the alumni in the best possible ways, the Indian missions overseas will form alumni associations in the countries of their accreditation and celebrate an alumni day. Other activities will include inviting alumni association members to meet the Indian dignitaries visiting that country and providing information with regard to the ICCR scholarship facility through the alumni.

The ICCR has been offering scholarships to foreign students for the past 40 years and now, through the portal, it hopes to create an important platform of cultural ambassadors of India.

It is estimated that the ICCR alumni is nearly 30,000 strong and the portal will, therefore, also facilitate re-connecting with the past scholars.