THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of ensuring safe migration of Malayali students to foreign countries, Norka Roots – a state government institution under the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs – is planning to introduce new countries, including the USA and China, as part of its recently launched Student Migration Portal.
Currently, the portal includes detailed information on the UK, Germany, Canada, New Zealand, and Eastern European countries. According to Norka officials, information on new countries and more courses will be brought out as the second phase of the portal, initial discussions of which have already begun.
“Despite the recent trend of student migration to Canada and European countries, the USA remains a top priority for students. China is also one of the most sought after countries for medical aspirants, because of which we are planning to introduce both,” a top official from Norka told TNIE. Officials also added that these countries could not be included in the first phase due to technical delays.
The Student Migration Portal was launched by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the Loka Kerala Sabha sessions in Thiruvananthapuram. Designed as a government-verified source of information dissemination, the website provides details about the available courses and a basic understanding of the country to which they are migrating.
“We are also working on a cost calculator, which will inform the students of their tuition fees, accommodation, living and other expenses. The aim is to ensure that every student is well-informed before migration,” the official said.
Stating that the currently active portal only encompasses the most popular courses, including medical, IT, engineering and MBA, another official said that more disciplines will be included as part of the second phase.
“Initial discussions about adding streams like liberal arts, media studies, etc, are ongoing. The final decision will, however, be taken afterwards,” the official added. “The main aim of the portal is to prevent students from falling prey to scams. We have our own sources to verify the authenticity of the institutions,” an official said.