NEW DELHI: Training of Foreign Gentlemen Cadets from Afghanistan in various military academies in India will not get affected due to the events following the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Also, India will assist them to travel to Afghanistan or countries which give them entry.
A source said, “The government will help them apply for e-visas to move to countries that have expressed willingness to accept Afghan refugees.”
Foreign Gentlemen Cadets earn various diplomas and certificates during their training in India.
This process of allowing Afghan cadets to train in Indian academies started in the 1970s. In all, over 1,000 cadets have passed out of Indian Military Academy and Officers Training Academy.
The Afghan cadets also join the National Defence Academy for undergraduate training. At present, there are around 150 Afghan cadets undergoing training at IMA, OTA and NDA.
Taliban connection
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban’s head of political office in Doha, is a former Afghanistan Army officer who trained at Indian Military Academy in 1982 and served his nation’s army till 1996.