New Delhi: Amid much speculation and possible participation of Taliban officials in an online training course being organized under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program from March 14-17, sources familiar with the matter said that it has nothing to do with India’s policy or stand toward Taliban rule Afghanistan and that the online course is open to various countries, not just Afghanistan.
Sources familiar with the development said that it is a fully online course conducted by IIM and noted that India has been organizing ITEC programs even before the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-2021 and many Afghans benefitted from the program. It is nothing like someone will come to India to attend the online course, it added.
According to sources, India has been running ITEC courses in Afghanistan since 2006 to train middle-level public officials of Afghan government ministries, departments, and semi-government organizations. The course according to sources is run by the Indian Institute of Management in Kozhikode, sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs' Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC), and is open to students across the world, including in Afghanistan.
However, there is no official statement or confirmation from the Ministry of External Affairs regarding the development. It is pertinent to note, ITEC is one of the oldest institutionalized arrangements for global capacity building and its programs have more than 200,000 officials from more than 160 countries.
Earlier, the Taliban foreign ministry issued a memo that said that the Indian mission in Kabul has sent an intimation of the course to Taliban diplomats, to be conducted from March 14-17. India has denied responding to the same. Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, India has been reiterating its position that it does not recognize the Taliban regime but India is amongst about 15 countries that run missions in Kabul, which it reopened in June 2022 as a technical mission.
Despite all the differences in bilateral relations and the fact that India does not recognize the Taliban regime in war-torn Afghanistan, New Delhi has been steadfast and consistent in providing humanitarian assistance to Kabul.
Most recently, India has sent around 5000 units of stationery items and winter clothing for primary school students of Habiba school in Kabul. India has provided several shipments of humanitarian assistance including 40000 MTs of wheat, 65 tons of medical aid, and 28 tons of other relief materials
