Lok Sabha Question No. 4855 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-31
Subject: Engineers Working in Kuwait
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Abdul Majeed Ariff

4855.  ADV. A.M. ARIFF

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-

(a)   whether   the   Government   has   noticed   that   vast   majority   of   the   Indian   Engineers working in Kuwait would lose their job due to the insistence of the Kuwait Society of Engineers on NBA accreditation for the engineering courses pursued by Indian Engineers and if so, the details thereof and action taken thereon;

(b) whether the Government has taken any steps to find an amicable solution to the matter protecting the interests of Indian Engineers in discussion with the relevant authorities in Kuwait, if so, the details thereof; and

(c)   the   number   of   Indian   Engineers   working   in   Kuwait,   who   graduated   from   NBA accredited as well as non-NBA accredited institutions, before and after 2012 separately?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

(SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

(a)   The   Government   is   aware   of   certain   difficulties   being   faced   by   some   Indian engineers   in   Kuwait   on   account   of   non-issuance   of   NOCs   by   Kuwait   Society   of Engineers (KSE) in respect of engineers who have passed out of non-NBA accredited institutes.

(b) Government of India has been actively pursuing the matter since March 2018 when Public Authority of Manpower of Kuwait vide its notification made the requirement of obtaining   No   Objection   Certificate   (NOC)   from   Kuwait   Society   of   Engineers   for renewal of residencies of expatriate engineers mandatory. The issue has been raised at high levels during the course of  bilateral engagements with the State of Kuwait.

Ministry of External Affairs had facilitated the visit of a delegation from Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower and Kuwait Society of Engineers to Delhi in June 2018. The delegation had met officials in Ministry of Human Resource Development, UGC, AICTE and NBA. Subsequently, based on a mechanism of regular meetings between Embassy of India, Kuwait and the KSE, a number of cases were resolved.

Government   has   also   constantly   clarified   to   the   Kuwaiti   side,   including   through sustained engagement in recent months, that universities/technical institutions in India require   University   Grants   Commission   (UGC)/All   India   Council   for   Technical Education (AICTE) approval, as applicable. Accreditation, including National Board of Accreditation  and   National   Assessment   and   Accreditation   Council   (NAAC),   is   not

## ENGINEERS WORKING IN KUWAIT

mandatory.   A   comprehensive   list   of   non-NBA   premier   institutes   {top   National Institutional   Ranking   Framework(NIRF)   ranked   technical   institutes   and   NAAC approved technical institutes under the purview of AICTE} and 'Institutes of National

Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Education continue to work with NBA, UGC and AICTE to effectively pursue the issues related to accreditation of Indian engineers  in   Kuwait.   NBA   is   working   with   non-accredited   Indian   Institutes   whose Engineers/professionals   are   working   in   Kuwait   for   their   faster   accreditation.   These Institutions   are   pursued   to   apply   for   accreditation   of   their   programs   and   their

Importance' in India has also been shared with Kuwaiti authorities. applications for accreditation are processed by NBA on priority basis.

c) The specific data is not available. However, during a recent online registration drive conducted by the Embassy of India, Kuwait in December 2022, around 5500 Indian engineers in Kuwait registered.

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