India's Ambassador to China Vikram Misri has said that China's continuing travel ban on travelers from India, including thousands of students and separated families, who have been waiting to return to China for more than one year is an "unscientific approach". He said, such humanitarian and less complex issues need a more balanced and sensitive approach from Chinese authorities.<br />''<br />''Speaking on the prevailing difficult situation of bilateral relations at a dialogue organised by Indian and Chinese think tanks last week, Mr. Misri said, that it is not limited only to diplomacy and geopolitics. "Far less complex issues, which have a purely humanitarian context and are not connected to bilateral diplomatic stances, such as facilitating the movement of students, businesspersons and stranded family members from India to China for over a year and a half now, await a more balanced and sensitive approach." He also said that India has also attempted to keep the trade and commercial relationship insulated from current differences, for instance by continuing to issue visas to Chinese businesspersons to visit India. However, he said, India is disappointed to see an unscientific approach about several problems currently being faced by Indian students, businessmen, marine crew and exporters etc.<br />''<br />''Prasar Bharati, Beijing has been continuously taking up the issue of return of more than 20,000 Indian students enrolled in Chinese universities who are waiting to return to China. Most are in medical courses and are concerned that online programs arranged by their universities will not adequately prepare them especially in hands-on clinical subjects. They also must pay full fee for online classes which is practically not of good quality due to many reasons. They are also fearful whether their online degrees will be recognized. Their pleas to Chinese authorities for more than one year have made no headway. China's Embassy in India has largely not been issuing any visas since a travel ban imposed in November last year. The Embassy has since March this year also effectively barred even Chinese nationals in India from returning home by denying them health codes that are needed to board flights to China.<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The ban includes even family members, leading to many cases of families being split up for over a year. Many families have not seen their children for over a year and have even been unable to visit ailing family members. Mr. Misri pointed out India has been issuing visas to Chinese businessmen to enable their travel to India. All travelers to China are willing to undertake the required testing and complete the quarantine but are not being issued visas or health codes. There is no word from China on this issue so far nor have they given any rationale as pointed out by Mr. Misri.</span><br />