New Delhi (NVI): China’s Confucious institutes will need to get the approval of the Indian Government before signing any MoU or Agreement that “such centers” might wish to enter into with an Indian college or university, the Ministry of External Affairs said today.
During a virtual media briefing here today, External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that MEA had in 2009 issued detailed guidelines for establishment and functioning of Foreign Cultural Centres.
“These guidelines apply also to any cultural centre that is supported/sponsored by an autonomous foreign organisation, including any Confucius Centre,” the MEA spokesman said.
“Under these Guidelines, approval of MEA is required for any MoU/Agreement that such Centres might wish to enter into with an Indian organisation,” he added.
Srivastava said that naturally, if any Indian institution were to enter into or has entered into an arrangement that would come under the purview of these guidelines, then it would require the approval of the Government.
“And as a corollary if the approval was not taken when establishing such Centers then it was not in conformity with the Guidelines,” the MEA spokesman said.
It is pertinent to mention here that UGC had last year officially asked Indian universities to seek approval from the Central government, including the home and foreign ministries, before entering into any agreement for setting up a Confucius Institute.
India has put restrictions on several activities with China after the violent Galwan Valley clashes in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.
Amid the tense border face-off in Ladakh at Line of Actual Control (LAC) and China’s aggressive posturing in the region, India also banned 59 China-based apps in June.
-ARK
