University to keep hawk-eyed vigil on foreign students

Foreign students enrolling in state universities will now have to undergo stricter document verification. The Mumbai University has laid down stringent rules to be followed by colleges while granting admission to students from other countries based on certain observations during meetings between its officials and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

According to a July 15 circular by the university to its affiliated colleges, it was observed that foreign students do not appear in person to secure admission. Instead, they send agents or middlemen. Also, many a time, they provide a hostel address but are not always found to be staying there.

ATS chief Rakesh Maria said they have instructed universities in the state to follow stricter document verification rules. “We were conducting a census of foreign students coming to Maharashtra for further studies. We came across various cases where people come on tourist visas and enrol themselves for a course. Many others with a student visa do not attend colleges regularly. There were some who had no fixed residential address, making it difficult for us to keep track.”

The July 15 circular instructs university departments and affiliated colleges to register a police complaint and report to the office of deputy commissioner of Foreign Regional Registration Officer if any application or document of foreign students is found suspicious.

“We were asked to stay alert and be strict during the verification of documents of foreign students and keep the local police in loop about the process,” said a senior official from the Eligibility and Migration certificate unit of MU. Even University of Pune (UoP) has issued a similar circular to its departments and affiliated colleges.

While MU has about 211 foreign students enrolled for the 2012-13 academic year, UoP has approximately 7,000 students. The universities have asked all affiliated colleges to collect details of foreign students including their visa validity, permanent and temporary residential proof, attendance in the class and examination records.

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