India, Oz sign major deal to expand education partnership

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Apr 8 (PTI) Stating that they are at an
"exciting time" in their ties, India and Australia Thursday
signed a major education deal to take their relationship
forward after a series of vicious attacks on Indian students,
including the murder of a 21-year-old youth.
The deal was signed as India's Minister for Human
Resource Development Kapil Sibal met Australian Deputy Prime
Minister Julia Gillard here, their second meeting in six
months.
Under the deal, the two sides agreed to set up a joint
education council and to extend exchanges in the field of
education.
"India and Australia are at an exciting time in their
relationship, a Joint Ministerial Statement said, saying that
people-to-people contacts are at the heart of the bilateral
relationship.
Students studying in both countries play an important
role in building bridges of friendship and understanding and
are a significant resource for future development of the
relationship," the statement said.
Sibal and Gillard, who is also Australia's education
minister said their governments attached high priority to the
safety and well being of students as they played an important
role in the knowledge partnership envisaged between the two
countries.
"The fact that I am here suggests we want to take
the relationship forward, it does not mean that we are not
concerned about what's happening here," Sibal told reporters.
An India-Australia Education Council comprising
experts from both sides will be formed and a joint ministerial
statement has been signed to expand the education exchange
programme.
Over 100 cases of attacks on Indians were reported
last year in Australia, including the murder of 21-year-old
Nitin Garg, straining ties between the two countries.
They also led to the Indian government issuing a
travel advisory asking students to exercise caution while in
Australia, and were followed by a flurry of high-profile
visits by Australian dignitaries, including Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd, to India.
On the issue of the travel advisory, Sibal said: "The
advisory obviously was given at a point in time when the
incidents were at a height... students are still coming to
Australia, we have not prevented them".
Sibal and Gillard were meeting after six months and
the former said he believed the attacks on Indians had
declined. "I think the Australian government is taking strong
steps in that direction to prevent those things happening,"
Sibal said. PTI NC
MRD