China grants visa to Arunachal academician
Itanagar, (PTI): In a significant development, China has at last issued visa to a resident of Arunachal Pradesh - an academician - months after denial of the same to an IAS probationer had earned the ire of India.
Marpe Sora, a lecturer in Computer and Engineering Department of Rajiv Gandhi Central University here, went on the tour of China with 21 other Indian academicians from November 24, the Head of Department, Dr S K Sharma, said Thursday. Sorpa is likely to return to India Thursday night.
The university, in a press release here, described grant of visa to the Arunachalee lecturer as a 'breakthrough achievement'.
Early this year, the refusal of visa to an Arunachalee IAS officer, Ganesh Koyu, who was to have visited China as part of a 100-member IAS delegation, led to cancellation of the visit of the entire delegation in protest.
China had cancelled visas of several Arunachalees, including ministers earlier too, as it claims entire Arunachal Pradesh as its territory and took the stance that indigenous inhabitants of Arunachal did not need visa to visit it.
Marpe was one of the selected members of the team of academicians drawn from all over India for the visit arranged by India and the China Alliance Centre of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
The purpose of the trip was to enhance Sino-India relations and to boost academic exchange.
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