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PanIIT Alumni Urge Indian Professionals Abroad to Return Home
PanIIT Alumni India is asking Indian professionals who work in other countries to consider returning to India.
The group says India now has more opportunities for research and technology work than it did in the past.
Its appeal came after the United States paused certain Green Card-related applications at eight companies.
The pause applies to the PERM programme, which is part of the process for some employment-based Green Cards.
It does not automatically cancel existing H-1B visas, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
PanIIT also objected to language describing Indian professionals as “indentured servants.”
The ministry said Indian workers are skilled contributors and called that description offensive.
The group says professionals can build and contribute to India while pursuing important work at home.
PanIIT Alumni India urged Indian professionals working abroad to return and build their careers in India.
The group said India now offers research, deep-tech and patent-capital opportunities that once pushed talent overseas.
Its appeal followed the US Department of Labor’s suspension of eight companies from the PERM programme.
PanIIT Alumni India criticized descriptions of Indian professionals as “indentured servants” and highlighted their contributions to US innovation and industry.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the remarks were offensive and clarified that the PERM suspension does not itself change existing H-1B visa validity.
- Who
- PanIIT Alumni India, Indian professionals working abroad, and India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
- What
- PanIIT Alumni India appealed to Indian professionals abroad to return, following a US suspension of PERM applications at eight companies.
- Where
- India and the United States.
- When
- The appeal followed the US Department of Labor’s suspension; the article does not give a date.
- Why
- PanIIT Alumni India says India now offers greater opportunities and that visa-based careers can be uncertain.
Return and contribute in India
Concerns about treatment and uncertainty abroad
Where professionals should build their careers
Return and contribute in India
PanIIT Alumni India says India now offers compelling opportunities and urges professionals to return and contribute at home.
Concerns about treatment and uncertainty abroad
The article describes Indian engineers and technologists as having made significant contributions to US innovation, research and industry; it does not report a response from professionals abroad to the appeal.
Characterization of Indian professionals
Return and contribute in India
PanIIT Alumni India and India’s Ministry of External Affairs reject describing Indian professionals as “indentured servants,” calling the language unfair or offensive.
Concerns about treatment and uncertainty abroad
The article attributes the characterization to remarks by US Vice President JD Vance but does not provide his explanation or response.
Effect of the PERM suspension
Return and contribute in India
The US Department of Labor’s suspension halts new and pending employment-based Green Card applications at eight affected companies.
Concerns about treatment and uncertainty abroad
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the action does not itself affect existing H-1B visa validity or holders’ status, although it could affect eligible employees’ Green Card processes.
Key facts
- Appealing organisation
- PanIIT Alumni India, which the article says represents alumni from all 23 IIT institutions.
- Appeal
- “Build here, scale here, contribute here,” the group urged Indian professionals abroad.
- US action
- The US Department of Labor suspended eight major tech and IT outsourcing companies from the PERM programme.
- PERM impact
- The suspension halted new and pending employment-based Green Card applications at the affected companies.
- H-1B clarification
- The Ministry of External Affairs said the PERM suspension does not by itself affect existing H-1B visa validity or holders’ status.
- PanIIT chair
- Prabhat Kumar, IRS, is identified as Chairman of PanIIT Alumni India.
Quotes
Ministry of External Affairs
Indian government ministry responsible for foreign affairs
“For decades, we celebrated when our brightest minds left for American shores. It is time we asked what we lost in the process. A visa was never a stable foundation for a career and this week’s events prove it. The IIT covenant was nation before self. The most exciting problems and the greatest impact now await our engineers at home.”
theprint.in
“We believe that such descriptions are unwarranted and ignore the fact that Indian professionals in the United States are highly educated and skilled contributors to its economy and innovation ecosystem… Resorting to terminology that carries painful historical and colonial legacy connotations is deeply offensive.”
theprint.in
Sources
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