Recalled envoy advise Indians about studying in Canada

In a recent statement, former Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Verma advised Indian families to carefully consider their decision before sending their children for studying in Canada.

The commissioner recalled due to diplomatic row between two nations in 2023, shared a warning based on trends he observed during his tenure. He mentioned he would have given parents this advice even if relations were well.

Verma revealed that Indian students in Canada face grim realities, it includes subpar college standards, minimal job prospects, and mounting mental health issues, leading some to take extreme measures.

“At one point of time in my tenure, at least two bodies of students were being sent to India in body bags per week,” he stated in an interview with PTI, his first time facing the camera since he was recalled.

When asked, parents must think twice before sending them to Canada, he replied “Absolutely”. He noted many students land in the lesser-known institutions, paying four times the local tuition fees however receiving little in return.

Due to unreliable agents, some students end up in colleges offering only weekly classes, this hampers their skills and career opportunities.

“The ground reality there is not very encouraging,” Verma observed, with graduates often resorting to low-paying jobs like driving cabs or selling street food, far from the careers they trained for.

Instead of returning home after struggling in Canada, many students resort to suicide.

"They have gone there to dream of a future, and were returning in body bags," he said in the interview.

The recalled diplomat emphasised that families must be vigilant about the institutes they choose, as many parents sell property or take loans to afford their child’s education abroad.

He urges the parents to verify the credibility of institutions and the living conditions for students before making a costly and sometimes irreversible decision.