10 Apr 2019

Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Gladys Kokorwe says Botswana is grateful to the Indian government for offering scholarship slots to Batswana.

Ms Kokorwe was speaking at the official  first celebrations of Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) Foundation day hosted by the High Commissioner of India to Botswana, Dr Rajesh Ranjan.

She pointed out that Botswana was offered 140 slots per year which had recently been increased to 180.

She said the programme had nurtured linkages between India and Botswana beyond historical and cultural linkages to technical and economic aspects.

Ms Kokorwe further said India offered 900 scholarships to African countries out of which 20 slots were offered to Botswana students to pursue undergraduate, post-graduate and higher courses.

She said over the last 10 years, hundreds of Batswana students had benefited from ICCR’s programme which were demand driven and focused.

“Today the India-Botswana relationship is nurtured on a much broader platform, that is, the rising flow of foreign direct investment, increase in trade, more intense interaction of India with its diaspora in Botswana, and increased cooperation in the field of information technology,” she said.

Ms Kokorwe said it had assisted in opening the economy to new opportunities, and as a result, empowered the citizens.   

For his part, Dr Ranjan said the ICCR was founded in 1950 with the objective of fostering and strengthening cultural relations and mutual understanding, saying India and Botswana’s bilateral relations had a strong educational component.

The Indian High Commissioner said the main aspect of cooperation was capacity building which focused on enhancing the potential of Botswana talents and skills in a wide range of specialised areas so as to match local opportunities for overall development.

He revealed that last year over 200 students from Botswana were sent to India to attend various courses.

“We share with you our technologies, academic knowledge and experience to assist you in your march to national development,” he said. ENDS