As an ongoing series in The Indian Express has shown, over the past two years, the government has kept several Fulbright scholars from the US waiting for periods ranging from six to 21 months. In August 2006 (the time the scholars should normally have been in India), 93 of the 100 visa applications were pending. Eight of these are still pending today.

The officers who will attend the February 15 meeting: Joint Secretary (Higher Education) in MHRD Sunil Kumar, Joint Secretary (Foreigners) in MHA Ashim Khurana and Joint Secretary (Americas) in the MEA, Gaitri Kumar. The committee itself is headed by the Secretary, Higher Education.

Officials said the meeting will deliberate on the “weightage” to be assigned to key areas that will determine if a proposal falls in the green channel or red.

The Fulbright Commission in India, popularly known as the United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI), had written to the three ministries requesting for speeding up clearances. At the moment, visa applications from scholars are forwarded through USEFI to the nodal ministry, HRD. The files are then sent onwards to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has to give a security clearance.