The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) launched an India Alumni Portal on Saturday, as a platform to connect with foreign students around the world who have studied in India. Foreign Minister Meenakshi Lekhi launched the portal in the presence of ICCR President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.
Lekhi said: “This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to build an India alumni network to engage them and keep them connected and informed about a dynamic India so that they can build the bridges of friendship can be.”
The India Alumni Portal (www.iccr.almaconnect.com) connects all foreign scholars who have studied in India, including ICCR scholars who can be India’s best ambassadors, and provides an invaluable soft projection on their personal and professional lives, added Sahasrabuddhe to it.
The portal is to be a single platform for all past and present foreign scholars to register, communicate, maintain their Indian ties and stay anchored in India. It will also facilitate continuity and reconnection with many past scholars and provide a single platform for all past and present scholars to register, communicate, share conversations and contribute. Indian missions abroad will also use these contacts in various ways.
In addition, the ICCR said in a statement that in order to engage the alumni in the best possible way, the Indian Missions Overseas will form alumni associations in the countries of their accreditation and celebrate an alumni day. Other activities include inviting alumni association members to meet the Indian dignitaries visiting that country and providing information related to the ICCR scholarship facility through the alumni.
ICCR has been providing scholarships to foreign students for 40 years and now the organization hopes to create an important platform of cultural ambassadors of India through the portal. The ICCR alumni are estimated to be close to 30,000 strong and the portal will therefore also facilitate reconnecting with past scientists.
