Oz varsities cautious
Five universities of Australia have cracked down on the surge of Indian students entering their country with the primary motive of seeking residency rather than studying. Not surprisingly, the main suspects are applicants from Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, UP and Bihar. In a blot to the region, these campuses have started screening the applications for study visa from these states with greater caution, if not rejecting them outright to curb this practice. The higher the number of non-genuine students found in an institute, the more its ‘risk rating’ is downgraded by the Australian government.
While it is understandable that youngsters should explore all prospects to get world-class education and equip themselves for the best jobs, it is equally important that they realise that it pays only if they follow the rules. Punjab and Haryana must hold awareness campaigns to educate them about the plight of illegal migrants in foreign countries. Plus, the applicants must not depend solely on agents for filling in the forms for colleges and study visas. They must check the websites of these institutions and go through all the rules and regulations before taking the plunge. They must also weigh the value of these courses back home in case they need to return. The pasture is not as green as imagined.
The trend of students overstaying their visas or flouting the visa rules for work in foreign shores reflects poorly on them and impacts the lives of genuine students. It also diminishes the country’s image in the international fora. Boys and girls seem to be hell-bent on going abroad, through hook or crook. Even their parents are willing/forced to put all their resources at stake for some dreamland. This craze to ‘settle abroad’ through the study visa route has unfortunately spawned a number of immigration agents who defraud unsuspecting youngsters into taking admissions in obscure courses or even fake universities. Some such unfortunate incidents recently came to light in Canada and the US where hundreds of students faced deportation after the lid was blown off the scandals. This trend can be reversed only if the Indian middle class’s self-image gets corrected and better universities are created.
