India and Australia signed a framework mechanism for mutual recognition of qualifications that will help in easing the mobility of students and professionals between the two countries. The agreement was signed on Thursday following a bilateral meeting between India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his Australian counterpart Jason Clare in Delhi. The agreement is part of the commitment by prime ministers of both countries at the 2nd India-Australia Virtual Summit held on March 21, 2022, wherein they had agreed to establish a joint task force for mutual recognition of qualifications. Pradhan said that Australia and India are aligned to make the knowledge pillar a key aspect of bilateral relations. Clare said that the Australian government will be contributing 1.89 million dollars for running a skill programme in India in the area of agriculture which is a critical sector for India. He further added that Australia is working on a top priority basis to clear the pendency of education visas for Indian students. Both ministers while addressing the audience had reiterated that this partnership is a two-way street for students from both countries to immigrate and pursue the courses of their choice. When asked how many Australian students are expressing interest in pursuing education in india, Clare said, “The number of Australian students showing interest to study in india is very small and it’s not big enough…One of the things we spoke about this morning in our meeting is what steps can we take to encourage more Australians to come and study here.” Five students were sent to India by the Australian government in January to pursue a course in Textile at Odisha’s Centurion University.
