Students not keen to go abroad amid pandemic, career counsellors worst hit

As the number of coronavirus positive cases continues to surge and the outbreak has hit the nation's economy hard due to least growth amid lockdown, students from Kashmir who are pursuing professional courses abroad are not ready to move outside the nation. Following this, the income of career counsellors has come to a standstill and they are forced to switch their jobs to earn a living.

Srinagar: Following the COVID-19 outbreak, several Kashmiri students pursuing professional courses abroad had to return to the valley. But now after over three months, these students are not ready to go back to their respective colleges citing security as a major concern. The counselling centres in Kashmir, however, claim that they stand with the students but are helpless as they too are suffering financial crisis since August 5, 2019.

After the modification of Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution and coronavirus induced lockdown, the work of career counsellors is worst hit and nobody pays attention as they do not come under essential services.

With near-zero income, Career Counsellor Aqsa Bhat has now started a boutique to support herself. "I don't know how long the situation will be like this," Aqsa Bhat said in an exclusive interaction with ETV Bharat, adding, "I have to support myself as such I have started a small boutique. This boutique will not only help me to generate income but will help me in supporting my consultancy. It was a need of the hour."

She said, "Students have approached us for migration to any Indian university as they are not ready to go back abroad. For everyone security is a concern and these students are no different. Some of them are in the final year, some have taken admission this year only and now they are finding themselves in a deep dark hole with no light at the end of the tunnel."

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Bhat said, "There is uncertainty everywhere and we do not know how the things will be sorted out. Universities outside India have started classes again through online mode but our students cannot participate as the internet speed is too low for the same. There are a lot of issues. Examinations are pending in almost all universities. How will they enrol new students under these circumstances? There is no clarity on anything."

"Since August 5, last year we are suffering. We got a ray of hope in February this year when parents came forward for admissions outside Jammu and Kashmir. These parents were concerned about the future of their children amid volatile situations in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. We did some admissions too in Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh and other middle east nations but then COVID-19 lockdown dug our grave," Bhat said.

Bhatt further said, "The students have several terrible stories to share while they were in COVID wellness centres outside Jammu and Kashmir. Parents and children had to suffer a lot for visas and airlifting of students from abroad. In Indian colleges, management did nothing for the students they had to do all by themselves. Here we too were helpless because nothing was in our hands."

Bhat says, "following the bad experience abroad students are now preferring Indian colleges. Earlier, parents used to send their children abroad because those universities were low-budget. It was not for quality but now they feel if a similar situation arises again, it will be much easier to handle."

Students on the other hand to echo similar thoughts. For Sheikh Samreen, a resident of Hawal, going back to her college in Dhaka is not less than a nightmare.

"I am doing MBBS in Bangladesh. I don't want to go back. The college management left us to die. No one bothered about us," She said, adding that she would prefer some Indian college over any of the colleges abroad.

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