Get registered or face jail, govt tells education agents

Agents misleading students into joining fake universities abroad like the California-based Tri-Valley University (TVU) will face jail terms under a new law the government plans to enact soon. Charu Sudan Kasturi reports. Steps govt is planning

Agents misleading students into joining fake universities abroad like the California-based Tri-Valley University (TVU) will face jail terms under a new law the government plans to enact soon.

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The ministry of overseas Indian affairs will introduce a Bill in the coming session of Parliament, making it mandatory for all education agents to register with the government, top officials told HT. "It provides for both a fine and a jail term for unregistered education agents found luring students abroad," a senior official said. The Bill also aims to create a database of students studying abroad, but in this case, stops short of making it compulsory for them to register before leaving, sources said.

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Registering, however, will entitle students to seek government help in checking out the authenticity of the institute and the course before they leave India.

The HRD ministry is understood to have given its assent to the bill.

Overseas India affairs minister Vyalar Ravi had in July 2009 told Parliament that his ministry would create a database of students going abroad.