Month: December 2025

Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC)

Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC)

1. This is with reference to the announcement regarding the forthcoming edition of the Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) of Ministry of External Affairs.

2. Under the SPDC scheme, Children of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs)/ Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) and those of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who are pursuing Undergraduate courses in Indian Universities/Institutes are extended financial assistance towards Tuition fees, Admission fees and post admission charges. The SPDC Scheme, launched in 2006-2007, awards Scholarships to children of all Indian diaspora members with 50% of such scholarships reserved for female applicants in each category. Medical students pursuing UG courses have also been brought under the purview of the Scheme.

3. Ministry seeks to announce the launch of the next edition of the SPDC Programme for the academic year 2025-26 for the Children of NRIs/PIOs/OCIs pursuing Undergraduate courses in different disciplines in India. A copy of the SPDC guidelines for 2025-26, application, are is attached for your kind reference please.

 

Global e-tender for Import of Urea (46:00:00) on Govt. account (E-tender ID: 2025_NFL_259253_1)

Global e-tender for Import of Urea (46:00:00) on Govt. account
(E-tender ID: 2025_NFL_259253_1)

National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), a Navratna company under the Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.

NFL has issued the following Global e-tender for importing the following Bulk Fertilizer on Govt. Account:

E-tender No. Product Last date of bid submission
2025_NFL_259253_1 Urea (46:00:00) 02.01.2026 at 14:00 hrs IST

The advertisement of the same is to be published on 17.12.2025 in:

a) English National Daily – Published from Delhi.
b) Hindi National Daily – Published from Delhi.

The last date for submission of the tender is detailed in the above table.

The complete tender documents are available on the NFL’s website www.nationalfertilizers.com under the ‘Open Tender’ category and on the E-tender website https://etenders.gov.in/eprocure/app.

For convenience, a complete set of tender documents is attached with this notice. It is requested that the attached documents may please be forwarded to all such
reputed manufacturers/traders of Urea as deemed appropriate, to enable active participation of major world manufacturers/exporters/traders in this global import
e-tender for Urea.

The e-mail ID for any correspondence in this regard is  imports@nfl.co.in.

Tender Document

 

Inaugural Address by Ambassador at Conference on Medical Tourism in India

Inaugural Address by Ambassador at Conference on Medical Tourism in India

Hotel Hyatt Regency, Tashkent; December 12, 2025

 

Distinguished Guests,

For any health care system to be efficient and responsive, it must be affordable, accessible and it must be transparent. In a world where healthcare is not accessible to all, this must essentially be seen as service to humanity and not just a corporate venture.

It means that a good health care system should not just be able to detect, assess and respond, it should do so in minimal time, at an affordable cost and must do so with a compassionate and beneficence approach.

Yesterday, I had discussions with some of my hospitals which are present here today and what struck me was all of them have been involved in providing health care services on pro bono basis in Uzbekistan.

I was, therefore, very  pleased when I was informed that they had been actively involved in conducting free OPD camps focusing on cardiology oncology neurology, sending super specialists from India to hospitals here, organizing conferences in oncology  including the one in held in May last year which was attended by 550 doctors, conducting proton therapy treatments, undertaking liver transplants at the National Medical Centre in Tashkent and training Uzbek doctors every year on orthopaedic surgeries, liver transplant, onco-surgery, radiation oncology.

These are significant milestones and reflective of the spirit which guides Indian healthcare system and also Indian doctors are known for their expertise and life-saving skills worldwide.

Back home, India currently has strength of 1.4 million doctors supported by trained, efficient and skilled nurses and paramedics.

Several hospitals in India are JCI / NABH-accredited, ensuring global standards. The range of medical services be it cardiac surgery, joint replacement, organ transplants, fertility treatments, oncology, and wellness therapies are something that experts will speak on and let us also not forget India’s expertise in wellness therapies, Ayurveda, Yoga and naturopathy.

I think what really stands out in all this is the point I made earlier – the affordability factor. The costs at which services are offered can be seen and compared with other countries.

People’s lives are to be handled with a compassionate approach. Every life matters. I would request my hospitals to contribute even more in the area of capacity building.

Going forward, we will continue to organise more camps with the help of our super specialists focusing on the imminent needs of Uzbekistan. We will continue to hold hands and ensure that not just medical care but quality attention is also given by our hospitals. From Embassy, I can assure that visas will never be a constraint and we will facilitate quick travel of our Uzbek friends to India.

More importantly, let’s not forget that India-Uzbekistan relation is underpinned by strong people-to-people ties. The links between our peoples are a vital component of our strategic partnership and I am glad that our hospitals and our illustrious doctors on both sides appreciate the special ties we have with the people of Uzbekistan.

*****

 

ADVISORY REGARDING MANDATORY WORK PERMIT REQUIREMENT FOR INDIAN NATIONALS SEEKING EMPLOYMENT IN UZBEKISTAN

The Embassy of India, Tashkent, advises all Indian nationals intending to work in Uzbekistan that a mandatory Work Visa must be secured from the Embassy of Uzbekistan in India before commencing travel. All prospective applicants are urged to ensure that they possess a valid Work Permit before accepting any employment and travelling to Uzbekistan.

Key Points regarding Work Permit in Uzbekistan:

  1. Work Visa is Mandatory: Any Indian national intending to work in the Republic of Uzbekistan must enter the country on a Work Visa, which is obtained based on a valid work permit and sponsorship from a legally registered entity (employer).
  2. Visa Fraud Alert: Be highly suspicious of any recruiter, agency, or individual who advises you to travel to Uzbekistan on a Tourist Visa or any other type of visa with the promise of changing it to a work visa after arrival. (This is often a key indicator of employment fraud).
  3. How to Apply for a Work Visa: Legitimate applicants should apply for a Work Visa directly at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in India with the required documentation, as listed at https://gov.uz/en/mfa/activity_page/o-zbekiston-respublikasi-vizasi .
  1. Do Not make any payments to recruiters or agencies without the guarantee of the necessary legal documents for a Work Visa application.
  1. Insist that the sponsoring entity provide all necessary paperwork for a Work Visa application before you travel.