Attacks on Indians ‘regrettable’: Australian PM

Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd

Amid allegations of racism in Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday said the recent attacks on Indian youths were “regrettable” but insisted that these should be seen in the context of broader incidences of violence against locals and students of other ethnic groups.

“Regrettably, there have been some incidents recently, let’s accept that, but let’s put it into context, and also in the context of, let’s call it, the broader incidences of violence to students of other ethnic backgrounds, acts of violence against Australian students, acts of violence in particular parts of our large cities at any given time of the day,” Mr. Rudd told reporters in Adelaide.

“I think it’s important to keep all this into its context,” he said, adding “Obviously these are difficult matters in India; they are difficult matters in Australia.”

Nearly 100 cases of attacks on Indians, mostly students, were reported in Australia in 2009 as against 17 incidents of assaults in 2008.

“We are working through them in a practical and effective way over time,” Mr. Rudd said.

About 100,000 Indians were currently studying in Australia.

“The truth is this: the vast majority of Indian students in Australia are embraced entirely by the Australian community, get on with their business of studying hard, getting their qualifications and going off to do whatever they want to do with their lives,” he added.

Diplomas, an easy and economical route in New Zealand

 

 The universities and colleges in New Zealand offer more than 1,000 diploma and certificate programmes in diverse fields.

 Opting for a diploma course is a popular option for Indian students who desire to study in New Zealand. One of the few advantages of going for a diploma courses is that it costs less compared to other courses.

 The universities and colleges in New Zealand offer more than 1,000 diploma and certificate programmes in diverse fields. You can seek admission to these courses after your 12th standard in India. In addition, an IELTS score of 5.5 or 6.0 may be required depending on the discipline.

 The usual duration of the programme may be from six months to three years. You can select short-range or long-range programmes to match your aptitude and pocket. A few such programmes are listed below.

  Diploma of Web Development–six months to one year

  Diploma of Video Post Production (advanced)–six months to one year

  Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration-one to two years

  Diploma of Interactive Design–six months to one year

  Diploma of Digital Media (Advanced)–six months to one year

  Diploma of Contemporary Photography-one to two years

  Diploma of Communication Arts and Design-one to two years

  Diploma of Animation and Digital Video–six months to one year

  Diploma of Animation (advanced)–six months to one year

  Diploma in Visual Arts–two to three years

  Diploma in Teaching (Secondary)–one to two years

  Diploma in Sport Management and Coaching–six months to one year

  Diploma in Hospitality Management–one to two years

  Diploma in Fashion Design-one to two years

  Diploma in Dental Therapy–one to two years

  Diploma in Dental Hygiene–one to two years

  Diploma in Computer Graphic Design–six months to one year

  Diploma in Ceramic Arts–Two to three years

  Diploma in Beautician and Electrology–one to two years

  Certificate of Communication Arts and Design–six months to one year

  Certificate in Receptionist Skills–three to six months

  Certificate in Hospitality (Food and Beverage Services)–six months to one year

  Certificate in Horticulture and Landscaping–six months to one year

  Certificate in Fabrication & Welding–six months to one year

  Certificate in Comp Hardware and Network Engineering–six months to one year

  Certificate in Advanced Airline, Travel and Tourism–six months to one year

  Advanced Certificate of Art–six months to one year

  Advanced Certificate in Auto Engineering–one to two years

  Advanced Certificate in Auto Engineering–one to two years

 There are many more programmes including those in computers, tourism, beauty therapy, business management, English language, and fitness education. However, this list indicates the wide variety of paths we can pursue. The demand for specific programmes may vary from time to time based on fluctuating market values.

 You will find a very long list of diploma/certificate programmes in the web site http://www.newzealandeducated.com/in/en/course, http://www.newzealandeducated.com/int/en/institutions_courses. If you go by the appropriate links, you can know the duration, availability, fees, and the contact details of the institutions concerned. Further there is a provision for online request for prospectus. You will receive the prospectus by email, or even as a hard copy if you need it.

 What are the advantages offered by opting for the Diploma programs? In the first place, you can get a work permit for one year when you complete the course of study. This enables you to do a fulltime job for a year. The salary you gain would to some extent compensate the money you have invested for the Diploma studies. Even though you say that you can go for any job of your choice, it would be prudent to choose a job that is related to your Diploma qualification, if you have plans to get Permanent Residency (PR) in NZ. This is because there is a point system followed in NZ for granting PR. You gain points only if you work in an area relevant to your Diploma. Working in your area of specialisation helps you in four ways:

  Gaining professional experience in New Zealand

  Recovering some of the money you invested for your diploma studies

  Gaining points for securing PR

  Utilising your diploma education as a pathway program for your Bachelor degree studies in future.

 There are points allotted for your qualification, professional experience, and age. When you gain sufficient number of points, you can apply for residency from your work category.

 Also, you should fulfill the mandatory requirements of fine health and good character. If you have acquired a diploma in New Zealand, your spouse also becomes eligible for work permit, subject to certain conditions. The related details are available in the web site http://www.immigration.govt.nz.

 After you complete a few years of work, you can come back to the academic stream and join the Bachelor’s degree programme, using the benefit of your diploma as a pathway programme. With a New Zealand diploma and relevant experience, you may be considered for direct admission to the second year of the Bachelor’s degree, as in the B.Arch. programme of the Victoria University of Wellington. Also, you can go even further up, in tune with your interests and aspirations.

 Professional help

 A few web sites have been mentioned in this article to help you in learning the mechanism for securing admission to academic programmes, getting a work permit, and finally becoming a resident. But it would often be easy and convenient to get help and guidance in all these matters from experienced professional agencies for ensuring hassle-free results.

 Visa information

 ‘Immigration New Zealand’ (INZ) is the sole agency of the New Zealand government responsible for migration and entry to New Zealand. INZ, New Delhi branch has appointed TT Services to accept applications at their offices within India on its behalf.

 You can contact TTS at P-23/90 Rai House, Ground Floor, Connaught Circus, New Delhi – 110001; Ph: 011-42596300; Email: NZISNDStudent@dol.govt.nz; Web site: http://www.ttsnzisvisas.com. TTS has units at other centres including Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Cochin.

 The following factors prove a ‘Positive profile’ for a student:

  Good academic record

 IELTS score of at least 5.5. (For a positive profile category A, an overall score of 6.5 or above in the academic module of the IELTS test)

  Student’s immediate family’s verifiable evidence of funds to meet the educational and living expenses in NZ

  Regular source of sufficient income of financial guarantors

  Intended course of study relevant to qualifications and/or work experience

  Career progression opportunities

  Clear health and character requirements

 

Indian students retaliate following racial abuse in Australia

PTI This file photo shows the cars of Indian students that were torched in Melbourne in May, 2009.

In a fresh incident against Indians, a group of Australians racially abused community members coming out from a Kabaddi match and damaged their car here, prompting them to retaliate.

The incident took place at a carpark outside Meadowglen International Athletics Stadium in Epping when a local skateboarder damaged the rear window of a car belonging to an Indian.

The skateboarder also used abusive language against some Indians who were leaving the stadium where a Kabaddi match had ended on Sunday night.

“Associates of the person, whose car was damaged, came to his assistance. Two men were assaulted and hit with sticks in the brawl. These two injured men were from the group outside who had allegedly started to verbally abuse the people from the vehicle,” police said in a statement.

The two Australians-aged 25 and 42-were taken to Northern Hospital with minor injuries, they said. However, no arrests have been made and the incident was being investigated, the police told PTI.

Around 30 Indian students were attacked in various cities from June to August. Last month, three Indians were “brutally bashed” by a group of around 70 youth while playing here.

“A lot of people were leaving, the presentations were on at the time. I spoke to one of the boys who was there and he said a guy had smashed the rear window of a car that was leaving,” Councillor from the City of Darebin Tim Singh, who was present at the medal presentations ceremony for Kabaddi tournament, was quoted as saying by the media.

Mr. Singh said that the guy also made some racial comments following which the clash broke out between the two groups.

Meanwhile, an another report quoted police officer Mark Doney as saying that the incident occurred when contestants of the team began to leave the venue.

“One of the youths there tried to get in the way of the cars and yelled out a bit of abuse at people. I think he got his just dessert by the occupants of the vehicle after he smashed the window of their car. Obviously, push has come to shove and he smashed the panel of the side window of the car with the skateboard. It has escalated from there as some of his mates have come down the skatepark. A couple more were assaulted,” he said.

Inspector Doney said the injured men hadn’t pressed charges. “We don’t have a complaint of assault from them,” he said.

Last week, a 28-year-old Indian student was attacked with a “plank of wood or a baseball bat” by two men at Keilor Plains train station which left him with 20 stitches on his head.

Australia Addresses Indian Students’ Fears

A top Australian official began a tour of India to publicize fresh measures to protect foreign students, after a string of violent incidents against Indians that has threatened to dent Australia’s multibillion dollar international-education industry.

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said new legislation, if passed, would force fly-by-night educational institutions to register with the Australian government. New vocational-education providers that don’t meet national registration standards within the next year will be “put of out of business,” she warned.

View Full Image

Getty ImagesMembers of the National Arya Student Association hold placards and banners while shouting slogans against the Australian government during a protest in New Delhi on June 3, 2009. An attack on an Indian student in Australia that day added to a rising number of reported assaults on Indian students who number over 93,000 in Australia, in addition to over 200,000 students of Indian descent.

The effort to set more stringent regulations follows an explosion of smaller schools that cater to international students. “We’ve seen a lot of growth in the number of providers, and the nature of regulation needs to keep pace,” Ms. Gillard said.

The deputy prime minister’s visit comes in the wake of well-publicized attacks on Indian students in Australia. Police in Victoria state — where many of the incidents have taken place — said 1,447 people of Indian origin were victims of crimes such as robberies and assaults in the year ended June 30, 2008, an increase from 1,082 in the previous year. Australian officials have said a breakdown of how many of the assaults were racially motivated wasn’t available. They have also noted a sharp rise in Indian student enrollment in recent years.

Revenue from education is Victoria’s biggest export earner. The tertiary education industry is now Australia’s third-largest export earner behind coal and iron ore, generating 15.5 billion Australian dollars (US$13.04 billion) in 2008, according to government figures. Indian students represent about 18% of the 542,000 foreigners studying in Australia, second only to those from China, according to data from the Australian Council for Private Education and Training.

Ties with China have been upset by the detention of four employees, including one Australian national, working for the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto PLC, though there is no indication that is affecting Chinese students’ interest in studying in Australia.

Most Indian students are recruited to private Australian universities by agents based in India. The proposed new legislation would attempt to regulate marketing to overseas students to make sure students receive “accurate information about educational institutions and the living situation,” Ms. Gillard said.

Australian vocational institutions have been a big draw for Indian students, said Pawan Agarwal, a researcher with the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, a think tank. Most students have been seeking a path into the international job market rather than a quality education, he says.

“Obviously the kind of press the recent incidents have generated has damaged at least that part of the student market from India,” he said. Ms. Gillard said her visit also offered an opportunity to reach out to Indian government officials and underscore Australia’s view of India as a “special friend … with a shared agenda in the region.”