An award of certificate ceremony was held, on Thursday 13 July 2023, at the Open University of Mauritius (OUM) in Réduit, for 21 students who have successfully completed the e-VidyaBharati and e-AarogyaBharati (e-VBAB) project through scholarships offered by the Government of India to enable them to pursue Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes online in various reputed Indian Universities.
The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun; the High Commissioner of the Republic of India to Mauritius, Mrs K. Nandini Singla; the Director-General of the OUM, Dr Kaviraj Sharma Sukon; the Additional Secretary, Central and West Africa Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Mr Sevala Naik Mude; and other personalities were present at the ceremony.
In her address, VPM Dookun-Luchoomun indicated that Mauritius and India have always placed a premium on education adding that the e-VBAB scholarship scheme is a testimony to both nations’ unwavering commitment to investing in the youth’s future as human capital.
The e-VBAB project, she underscored, is a ground-breaking one offering an unparalleled opportunity for Mauritian students to pursue higher education in Indian institutions of repute. “It also ensures that our students can contribute to diverse sectors and drive innovation across various industries by focusing on a wide range of fields as it is a transformative endeavour that seeks to empower learners through education, technology, and international collaboration,” the VPM added.
Speaking of bilateral relations with India, the Vice-Prime Minister underlined that India has had a long history of cooperation and solidarity with Africa, dating back to the anti-colonial and anti-apartheid struggles and is based on mutual respect, equality, and demand-driven assistance.
For his part, the Additional Secretary, Central and West Africa Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Mr Sevala Naik Mude, highlighted that India remains among the top five destinations for African students travelling abroad for higher education. “Currently some 25,000 African students are studying in 500 public and private universities across India and the numbers should grow in future with increased cooperation between India and Africa,” he pointed out.
Finally, Mr Mude underlined that India is proud of its long-lasting educational ties with Africa which will carry on through the tele-education under the e-VBAB project which offers a good opportunity to the students of Mauritius and other African countries to avail a recognised degree from premier Indian Universities.
The Open University of Mauritius is the Learning Centre for the e-VBAB project in Mauritius and as such it acts as a link between the Indian institutions and the Mauritian students who will apply for the scholarships offered by the Government of India.
