Parameshwara warns colleges about overstaying foreign students

Bengaluru, Feb 7: Home minister G Parameshwara on Monday warned educational institutions of sheltering overstaying foreign students. The government, he said, will hold the college responsible if students overstay or indulge in illegal activities.

Parameshwara was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day training programme on, 'Gender sensitive, best practices, implementation and capacity building of police officials', which aimed at teaching cops the nuances of handling women and child-related cases.

Citing his own example, the minister said: "During my student days in Australia, cops would often check my visa and other details with my college management. We should implement such practices here in Karnataka. Make the college, be it private or government, responsible for the misdeeds of foreign students," he said.

Parameshwara said he has directed police and other concerned officials to identify students and other foreign nationals who are overstaying. "It is sad that many students come here on student visa and end up in jails. We don't want this to happen," the home minister added.

State DG-IGP Roopak Kumar Dutta and police commissioner Praveen Sood shared said it's the mindset that needs to change and not the way women dress. "For years, we have been disciplining girls and setting regulations for them. The time has come to tell the boys in the house to cleanse their mind," said Dutta.

Sood added that the helplines for women and children should get more staff. "Six months ago, we travelled to Germany to study their policing system and how they address women safety. Hanns Seidel Foundation, which works on the safety of women and children, shared many valuable guidelines with us. I request the foundation to financially support the women and child helplines," he said.