India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu has given a pep talk to Indian students here and urged them not to panic over the "uncertainties" surrounding their academic sessions, saying the COVID-19 pandemic is temporary. Speaking to over 50 Indian students in a virtual interaction, Sandhu said such unprecedented situations should instead inspire them to work harder and contribute towards a self-reliant modern, prosperous and happy India.

"The uncertainties, surrounding the academic session and adoption of novel teaching practices, by educational institutions in India as well as in the US may have seemed in-surmountable. However, do remember, the age-old saying tough times don't last, tough people do," Sandhu said. Observing that such challenges are temporary, Sandhu urged the students not to be daunted by them and not give up pursuing their dreams and aspirations.

"These unprecedented times should in fact inspire us to work harder and contribute towards building a self-reliant, modern, prosperous and happy India. For the hundreds of challenges we face, we have the capacity to provide billions of solutions. We should take inspiration from the tenacity shown by our country in fighting the pandemic," Sandhu said.

During the interaction, Sandhu also referred to the India-US education partnership as an important aspect of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Appreciating the students' proactiveness, Sandhu in his remarks stressed that the Indian Embassy and the consulates in America would support the students in all possible ways. There are about 200,000 Indian students in the US.