Zero tolerance for racial attacks on Indian students: Australian Deputy PM

Australia on Monday said it has "zero tolerance" for racial attacks on Indian students on its soil and denied that such incidents led to decrease in number of students enrolling in universities in the country.

Australia on Monday said it has "zero tolerance" for racial attacks on Indian students on its soil and denied that such incidents led to decrease in number of students enrolling in universities in the country.

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"Our Government has very clearly said that it has got zero tolerance for any form of violence against Indian students or against anyone else in Australia and we pride ourselves as a multi-cultural nation," visiting Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.

Interacting with students of Lady Sri Ram College for Women in New Delhi, Gillard sought to put an end to the palpable worries about studying in Australia following the spate of attacks.

She said the state governments in her country have "geared up with police crackdowns. There are now more police visible on the streets patrolling those areas where there has been problems."

Gillard, who met HRD Minister Kapil Sibal earlier in the day, said her government has asked a former member of Australian Parliament to conduct "a review to see what more things we can do to provide additional legislative protection for India students and other international students."

Whether the attacks led to a fall in number of students coming to Australia, Gillard, who is also the country's Education Minister said "we are seeing from figures the continuing demands from Indian students to come and study in country".