Australia to back foreign students if college shuts

September 10th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australia's Education Minister Julia Gillard was asked Thursday to find alternate courses for international students, including those from India, who have been affected following the closure of a college here. About 500 students, mainly Indians, were affected when Sterling College, which offered courses in information technology and community welfare, closed at the end of July.

September 7th, 2009 AGARTALA - Five students of a medical college here were expelled from their hostel while around 90 were suspended for one month for assaulting a senior, officials said Monday. The students of Agartala Government Medical College and Hospital were expelled after they physically tortured a third semester student Anil Jamatiya.

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julian Gillard's condemnation of the alleged race attacks on Indian students drew mixed response from the students of the Delhi University with whom she interacted here Monday. While many called the Australian government's response to the attacks as sham, some said that it was more of a "media hype" and such incidents can take place in any part of the world.

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Australian government would ensure that student victims of racist attacks either get a seat in a different college or are refunded the entire college fee, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said here Monday. Gillard, who is on a five-day visit to India, was interacting with students of the Lady Shri Ram College.

July 8th, 2009 HYDERABAD - Australian authorities will counsel Indian students on the "dos and don'ts" to be kept in mind while pursuing higher studies Down Under following the spate of attacks on students there, Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy announced Wednesday. McCarthy assured the Andhra Pradesh government that his country would take all steps to protect Indian students.

July 3rd, 2009 CANBERRA - Newly arrived international students could be given priority for on-campus accommodation as one way of boosting safety, according to a position paper released on Thursday by Universities Australia. University Australia chief executive Glenn Withers stressed that priority should also be given to domestic students from regional areas and interstate who have to move to attend university.

June 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy says every possible effort will be made to ensure that attacks on Indian students in Australia are not repeated, adding that the authorities will "pursue those responsible" for the assaults. In a letter to the Non-Aligned Students and Youth Movement (NASYM) that had staged a demonstration here June 18 against the attacks on Indian students in Australia, McCarthy said: "The Australian government will make every effort to ensure that attacks are not repeated and that Australia remains a preferred destination for students from around the world." He said that the Australian government is working closely with the Indian government on the issue.

June 10th, 2009 MELBOURNE - The Australian Government has said that its migration fraud investigators have discovered scores of illegal foreign students residing in the country using bogus documents to support permanent residency applications. Over 60 students, whose documents were initially accepted as genuine by the Government, will be forced to leave Australia if they are unable to prove their documents are authentic.

June 4th, 2009 CANBERRA - China has joined India in asking Australia to provide improved protection for foreign students after a series of violent racist assaults on Indian students Down Under. "There are over 130,000 Chinese students in Australia.

June 3rd, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Practising racial tolerance and treating foreign students to some good old Punjabi hospitality - that's how the students of Panjab University (PU) are setting an example amid reports of alleged racist attacks on Indians in Australia. Nearly a dozen students from countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, Canada, Iran and Nepal participated in the lunch Tuesday that was organised by Students' Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU), a students' political party.

June 3rd, 2009 WELLINGTON - Indian students based in Australia may opt to go to neighbouring New Zealand if the racially motivated attacks Down Under don't stop. Education New Zealand chief executive Robert Stevens said he had been in touch with the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise office in India yesterday, urging the office to market New Zealand and Australia as "totally different societies".

June 1st, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Monday said students from the state studying in Australia are free to contact him if they faced any danger. "The chief minister is worried about the safety of the students from Gujarat studying in Australia after the racial attacks on some students of Indian origin last week.

June 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Monday said that India was in touch with Australia over protests by Indian students alleging racist attacks and expressed the hope that their problems will get "sorted out".

May 28th, 2009 MELBOURNE - In the wake of the attacks on Indian students in the country, an Australian police officer is to travel to India to brief prospective students on avoiding street violence in Australia, media reports said. Police community liaison officer Senior Constable Victor Robb said that his advice would mainly cover "safety strategy tips", Radio Australia reported Thursday.

January 12th, 2009 RAIPUR - At least 14 students of a Chhattisgarh college were arrested here Tuesday for assaulting their juniors, the police said. The students of Government Science College were suspended Saturday by the college authorities, a day after the police registered a case against them for ragging their juniors at a hostel.