ASEAN-India Agri Fellowship: 50 Slots for Southeast Asian Students

New Delhi, Aug 14 (PTI) In a move to boost agricultural ties with Southeast Asian nations, the government on Wednesday unveiled the ASEAN-India fellowship programme for higher education in agriculture and allied sciences.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that 50 fellowships will be awarded to students from ASEAN countries over the five years, starting 2024-25.

Ten fellowships per year will be awarded for the next five years. It will cover master's degree programmes in agriculture and allied sectors, and August 27 is the deadline for the first batch.

The initiative, funded by the ASEAN-India Fund, will cover admission fees, living expenses and incidentals for selected students.

Chouhan emphasised the "immense possibilities" for agricultural cooperation, citing similar agro-climatic zones between India and ASEAN nations.

He noted the programme would address the current lack of opportunities for young researchers to tackle common agricultural challenges.

"This will promote the development of a pool of expert human resources in ASEAN for the growth of agriculture and allied sciences," Chouhan said.

The minister highlighted India's globally recognised agricultural research facilities, which already attract international students. The new fellowship aims to expose ASEAN students to cutting-edge research at top Indian agricultural universities.

India's existing international programmes include the Netaji Subhas Fellowship and India-Africa Fellowship. Currently, about 135 foreign students are pursuing degrees at Indian agricultural institutions.

The launch event saw participation from Ministers of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur and Bhagirath Choudhary, along with the Philippines' Ambassador to India and ASEAN coordinator Josel F Ignacio.