India would grant six months e-visa to around 180 Afghan soldiers and cadets being trained in the different military academies in the country after they complete their courses here.
However, around 140 of these Afghan soldiers and cadets have applied for visas for western countries including Canada, England and Germany.
"E-visas for six months would be given to all the Afghan cadets and soldiers who are training in our academies. They have the option of deciding upon their course of action regarding their future in this period," government sources told ANI.
Around 140 of them have applied for asylum in different countries mostly in the west including Canada and Europe. Many of them also want to stay in India and they have been put in touch with agencies who have been working with Afghans already living in the country, they said.
The future of these cadets became uncertain as the Taliban are strengthening their control over areas in Afghanistan.
India decided to allow around 180 of these cadets to complete their respective courses in the military academies of defence forces here. The Indian defence forces have been training Afghan soldiers as part of the capacity-building programme.
As many as 180 Afghan military personnel are being trained at different institutions, with a bulk of them at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) at Dehradun, the Officers' Training Academy (OTA) at Chennai and the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla in Pune.
Defence officers said the training and other expenses of these officers and cadets were being borne by India as part of nation-building efforts in Afghanistan after 2001. The future of these cadets and officers is uncertain as their army has already surrendered and the Taliban are in power.
( With inputs from ANI )
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