A young Pakistani Hindu girl who had shifted with her family from Pakistan’s Sindh province to Jaipur two years ago, hoping for a better future is watching her dreams fall apart as she struggles to be eligible to appear for the medical entrance exam for government medical colleges.
Despite being a meritorious student, Mashal Maheshwari has been unable to write her medical entrances, as the PMT form has specifications for only two categories–Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Non Resident Indian (NRI), of which she falls into neither.
Speaking to ANI, she said:
I want to study medicine. Both my parents are doctor. I want to help people...When we checked the PMT form, it had two categories India or NRI. I belong to neither of the two categories. How will I write the medical exam? If i can’t write it then i have to admit myself to private colleges, which has a minimum a donation of 1cr-2cr. we can’t afford it.
Maheshwari appealed to the government to intervene into the matter, urging them to take an instant decision, so that she can write engineering entrances if nothing else, without wasting a year.
Maheshwari’s mother said that the family doesn’t have Indian nationality and has applied for a long term visa to stay in India.
In 2014 a government notification said that Pakistan minority kids can study as foreigners in India. I don’t know govt colleges don’t have seats for foreigners. Both my husband and Iare working as medical coordinators in India, despite having degrees. It’s a hand to mouth situation right now. It’s my first time in India. I didn’t know we would have to struggle so much. When i watch my kids being depressed over their careers, then it makes me sad.
Video editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
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