SAARC university’s foreign students shun virtual classes, want scholarship dues paid

Students of South Asian University allege they are yet to receive promised allowances, certificates for visas. Varsity statement blames Covid.

Representational image of South Asian University | mea.gov.in

New Delhi: Foreign students of South Asian University (SAU), an international university started by SAARC nations in Delhi in 2010, have not attended their online classes from their respective countries for the past two weeks, over alleged non-payment of scholarships.

The students also alleged that the university has directed embassies to not grant them visas to attend physical classes.

University authorities, meanwhile, said since students are presently attending online classes from home, there is no point in giving them the scholarship money now. On the issue of visas, the university said embassies have been requested to grant visas to students once Covid protocols are put in place and physical classes resume.

‘This too costs money’

“The university over the past four months has not responded to our demands for scholarship money,” a student from Bangladesh told ThePrint on the condition of anonymity. “Many of us are from villages and do not have access to uninterrupted internet connections at home. We are living in Dhaka so that our studies are not hampered. This too costs money. The university should give us the scholarship and housing allowance,” he added.

Students of SAU’s doctoral programme claimed that the university has not paid scholarships since the session commenced in October 2020. Masters students also said they are awaiting their freeships.

The other problem raised by the students is that of bonafide certificates, issued by the university to foreign students to help them obtain visas to study in India.

International students from the nations included in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation — a geopolitical grouping of eight countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) — claimed in a press release shared on WhatsApp that they have not yet been issued these certificates. The international students rather alleged that the university has asked embassies of SAARC countries to not give them visas right now.

“The pandemic is not showing any signs of abating, the university should create Covid-appropriate guidelines and let international students come and stay in hostel. It will be much better for our education,” said the student from Bangladesh.

SAU’s stand

University representatives shared a written statement stating that since classes are being conducted virtually and students are attending classes from home, it makes little sense to pay them living expenses.

“It was very clearly written in the scholarship offer letter that scholarships will be disbursed only after completing all in-person registration formalities i.e. physical verification of documents and physical presence in the campus. The fact remains that the scholarships will be effective from the start of the first semester i.e 26 October 2020. Arrears will be paid when the university opens for physical classes and students turn up in person and carry out in-person registration process,” the statement said.

Clearing its stand on the subject of visas, the university also shared a letter written to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, which read: “It is requested that visas to all new students as per the attached list may be issued only after the university takes a decision to call them for physical classes, which will also be communicated to the esteemed commission.”

Finding support

The agitating students have, meanwhile, found support in the South Asian University Researchers Association (SAURA), an elected body of the university’s students.

In a statement shared on WhatsApp, the association also supported the following demands made by the students: immediate disbursal of PhD and Master scholarships/freeships with arrears, without physical verification or through e-verification; immediate steps to complete the approval process for the UGC-Junior Research Fellowship and approve fellowships for eligible students, which has been pending for the past few months; immediate steps for phased accommodations on the SAU campus or a housing allowance amounting to Rs 8,000 per month according to SAU rules; issuance of bonafide certificate for all non-Indian students for visa purposes and expediting the verification of income certificates of non-Indian students for freeship purposes.

“Many of the doctoral students have also obtained their Masters degrees from SAU,” said another student, who did not wish to be named. “The university has records and bank account details of such students. They should simply use those to give them their scholarships.”

(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)