India has asked Australia to put in place a compulsory medical insurance cover for Indian nationals studying in that country. The demand comes at a time when there is widespread anguish over the recent spate of racist attacks against Indians in Australia.

New Delhi’s demand was conveyed by senior Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry officials to a nine-member Australian delegation which held discussions with them here. The delegation is on an eight-city tour to meet the political leadership and government officials to underline the Australia’s policy of “zero-tolerance for racism”.

“We have demanded that there should be a compulsory medical insurance cover to Indians studying in Australia. The Australian delegation has agreed to our suggestions,” Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said.

He said the Australian delegation has also accepted the suggestion that a mechanism should be devised to ensure quality of education in vocational educational institutes in Australia and that provision is made for campus accommodation wherever possible.

In Ahmedabad, the Australian delegation, in separate meetings with parents and students and the media, said that there was “no evidence” that the attacks on Indians were racially motivated and that the Australian government was taking the issue “very, very seriously.”

“This delegation is here to tell you that the Australian government does not condone racism in any form,” said Colin Walters, leader of the delegation and First Assistant Secretary of the Australian Department of Education.

Paul Evans, Assistant Commissioner of the Victoria Police Department, said the recent attacks were crimes — aimed at robbing people — and the offenders were mainly “immature teenagers who were mostly drunk or in possession of drugs” and “would not even know what an Indian looks like.”

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