(TibetanReview.net, Nov04’22) – The exile Tibetan population in India has been declining significantly since 2012 and this has especially been seen reflected in the reduction in the number of children in schools, the Sikyong (executive head) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Mr Penpa Tsering, has said Nov 4.
Citing an assessment report of the previous, 16th Kashag (or cabinet) of the CTA, he has said that whereas the number of Tibetan students enrolled in schools in India in 2012 was 20,128, this figure had plunged to 9,700 in 2021. This means a significant reduction of around 10,000 between 2012 and 2021, the Sikyong has said in his address to the Sambhota School students of Miao Choephelling Tibetan settlement in Arunachal Pradesh.
He has attributed this sharp drop in the number of students in the Tibetan schools in India to the steep decrease in the influx of Tibetans escaping from their Chinese occupied homeland, the migration of Tibetans abroad, and low fertility rate in the community.
Given this situation, the Sikyong has said it had become necessary to merge the schools as a step towards improving the overall condition of the schools and sustaining the Tibetan settlements in India.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering had earlier arrived at Tezu on Nov 2 morning to begin a two-week-long assessment visit to Tibetan settlements across Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya states in the North East region of India, said the CTA on its Tibet.net website Nov 3.