Melbourne: In the wake of a spate of violent attacks on Indians studying in Melbourne, Australian educational institutions have asked the government to take stricter measures to protect international students.
Calling for a crackdown on agents and other private groups which target foreign students in scams, a coalition of six higher educational groups presented a ten-point plan and asked for a "student safe" campaign.
"There is a lack of coherence in regulatory jurisdictions, responsibilities and practices," the coalition said in a statement.
"This fragmentation has been damaging, first and foremost to students, but also to the industry as a whole," it added.
Assaults against Indian students had led to street protests earlier this year amid accusations that police were not doing enough to halt the attacks.
At least 25 attacks have been reported against Indian students in the past three months in various Australian cities.
Australia is home to some over 95,000 Indian students.