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The United States has assured India that innocent students of the fake Tri Valley University would get an opportunity to 're-adjust' their status or transfer to other US universities, the government said on Wednesday and expressed confidence that all such students would be relocated.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told Parliament that India had asked the US government that students, who were themselves victims of fraud, should be given adequate time and opportunity to transfer to other universities.
"While we recognise the right of every government to investigate and prosecute fraud, we have asked the US government that students who are themselves victims of fraud should be given adequate time and opportunity to transfer to other universities or adjust their status and if they desire, return to India honourably," he said in a suo motu statement in both Houses of Parliament.
"The government of India will leave no stone unturned to see that their education prospects do not get adversely affected. I am hopeful our students will be relocated," he told Rajya Sabha while responding to concerns expressed by members over the fate of the 1,500 students in the university.
He said since the semester exams in US were in progress, it would take some time for relocation of the affected Indian students. On the GPS devices being tagged to some Indian students by the US agencies, Krishna said it was done as part of the ongoing investigation.
He said the US authorities have begun progressively removing the radio tags. Krishna had spoken to US Secretary of States Hillary Clinton about it. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Indian Ambassador to US Meera Shankar were also in touch with US officials, he said.
India expects the US to take steps to prevent such universities from exploiting foreign students, he said, adding the government would also advise Indian students to exercise due diligence while applying to foreign universities.