Oz delgation to meet Indian officials on Jul 6

Sydney, Jul 6: Top-level Australian delegation meets Indian officials, parents and students in New Delhi on Monday, Jul 6, Indian will closely watch how Australia plans to treat its international students recently subjected to racial attacks.

Team leader Colin Walters, Commonwealth Department of Education said the delegation will visit eight Indian cities to explain what actions are being taken to promote the well-being of Indian students in Australia and listen to their suggestions.

"We will make it clear that racism is not going to be tolerated by the Australian Government," The Sydney morning Herald quoted Walters, as saying.

The nine-member delegation, drawn from state and federal governments, police and the tertiary sector, is meeting with senior government figures including the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit.

The attacks have triggered a media frenzy in India and the delegation is likely to face aggressive questioning. Victorian Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Evans said extra uniformed and covert patrols were already having an impact in affected areas on the outskirts of Melbourne. "We have already seen a significant turnaround in some of the figures," he said.

Evans said undercover police working on targeted areas, including transport hubs, had yielded valuable intelligence that had contributed to a drop in robberies and assaults. Victoria has the largest education industry in Australia and many of the attacks have taken place in Melbourne.

ANI