New Delhi: Promising safety and security of Indian students, Australia is considering amending the law to enlarge definition of offence to include race, religion, ethnicity and nationality related violence, the Rajya Sabha was told on Friday.
The attack on Indian students in Australia has been taken up at the highest level and the Australian government has conveyed its "firm commitment" to ensuring their safety and security, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said.
Replying to a debate on the working of his ministry, Krishna said the Australian government has taken some specific steps which include launching of a police operation specifically to investigate incidents of attacks on students.
Provision of 24-hour hotline, in Hindi and English, by a community reference group to provide support, information and advice to Indian students who were victims of crime, and setting up of a police community reference group to improve communications between the police and the student community.
Krishna said the proposed amendment to the existing law would strengthen the police response to the attacks against Indian students.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, July 31, 2009, 15:43