>Tri Valley University blames Indian-origin staffer for immigration fraud

>As radio-tagging of scores of Indian students duped by a “sham” US university continues to cause anger back home, the controversial institute has claimed that one of its Indian-origin staff was responsible for the immigration fraud and it was not directly involved in it. Breaking its silence, the California-based Tri Valley University (TVU), which was shut down last month, termed as “baseless” the allegations of immigration fraud against the institute and claimed that it had not duped any student.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brought “this baseless allegation and put a red-tape in the school operation for a federal investigation, causing hundreds of students to withdraw from classes (and) many instructors requested to quit teaching for the current term. “Also, it caused a profitable university operation to quickly sink into negative in financial debt,” Susan Su, President and founder of the TVU, said in an e-mail to PTI.

“Starting in April, one of student assistants Anji Reddy, who worked in TVU administrative office, teamed with another student Ram Krista Karra, who also has a consultant company, conducting a large cheating scheme by asking students to make tuition payment into Ram Krista Karra’s personal account in exchange for student I-20 and CPT approval. TVU has fired these two individuals,” the e-mail said. The complaint against TVU before the ICE was made by these two, Su claimed.

Hundreds of Indian students were facing deportation and their academic career was in limbo due to the closer of the university by the ICE. Many of them were also forced to wear radio collars around their ankles so that US authorities can keep track of their movements. India has taken up the matter with the State Department and other concerned US officials, asking them to ensure that none of the Indian students is victimised.

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna termed the radio-tagging of the students as an “inhuman act” and demanded severe action against those responsible. State Department spokesman P J Crowley has, however, said ankle monitors are used across the US as part of a standard procedure for a variety of investigation and that this does not necessarily imply guilt or suspicion of criminal activity.

The US has taken very seriously the alleged immigration scam of Tri Valley University in California, which has mainly affected Indian students, he told reporters yesterday. “We take these allegations of immigration and visa fraud very seriously. These allegations are an excellent example of the universally damaging effects of visa fraud,” he said.

Crowley said the ICE has established a helpline for the Indian students affected by the closure of the university. “Those who are involved in this investigation have been issued ankle monitors. This is widespread across the United States and standard procedure for a variety of investigations. It does not necessarily imply guilt or suspicion of criminal activity,” he said.

“But we are following this case closely. We are in regular communication with officials of the Government of India. DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and ICE are leading this investigation, and that’s about all I can say at this point,” he said in response to a question.

Source: The Economic Times (Online Edition), February 1, 2011

>Malaysian team to study Kerala mosques

>A Malaysian team will arrive next month to study mosque structures in Kerala as a collaborative venture between the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM) and Madin Islamic Academy (MIA), Malappuram. In what is believed to be its first such accord with an Indian institution, the IIUM has entered into an agreement for academic cooperation with the MIA. A team from IIUM is expected to arrive in the state next month to commence the groundwork of a research study on mosque structures in Kerala.

The MIA in press release on Monday said the agreement was inked between IIUM Rector Syed Arabi Idid and Madin chairman Sayyid Ibrahimul Khaleelul Bukhari in Malaysia. “We are very happy to sign this agreement with an institution from India, which is the second largest Muslim populated country in the world, and hopeful of getting more students and exchange potentials,” said Idid.

The IIUM is a joint venture of the Malaysian government and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), which is the umbrella body of 57 Muslim countries. Established in 1983 with 153 students, IIUM has become a premier Islamic university with 30,000 students. It offers bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. courses.

The agreement is for exchanging students and teachers, facilitating research and publication in various fields, conducting international seminars and workshops and credit transfer between faculties. This will also enable students from India to pursue their higher studies in 50 faculties and 150 academic programmes of the IIUM.

Madin Academy, Malappuram, established in 1997, is one of the growing educational institutions from Kerala with 10,500 students and 25 educational and charity ventures. Bukhari said this was a new feather in the cap of the developing educational culture of India. “It is not only an agreement between two institutions, but a treaty to exchange knowledge and virtue imparted by more than 50 OIC countries,” said Bukhari.

Source: http://www.indiaedunews.net

>Rahul supports foreign varsity bill

>Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi has supported the foreign universities bill at the parliamentary standing committee meeting of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on Monday. There has been opposition to opening up the Indian higher education sector to foreign players by Left parties and BJP.

The parliamentary panel meeting was held to discuss the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010. Members belonging to Left parties and BJP suggested that the government needs to pay attention to strengthening the domestic university system before opening its doors to foreign players. BJP in particular stressed on the need to provide a level playing field for Indian universities and colleges. The Left has consistently maintained that foreign universities would subvert the Indian system, skew salaries and win away faculty from domestic universities and increase elitism in education.

BJP MPs are understood to have raised the question of foreign universities not being required to provide reservation for socially and economically backward students. Sources said that BJP MP Kirti Azad argued that keeping foreign universities outside the ambit of reservation would result in keeping children from disadvantaged sections out of these universities.

The BJP MP is also understood to have raised the issue of fees not being regulated in the foreign universities.
Sources said that Rahul Gandhi urged members that there was an urgent need for a law. It would appear that the Congress MP from Amethi felt that since there was no law in place to regulate foreign education providers, the first step would be to let the law go through. This is not the first time that Gandhi has pitched for foreign universities.

Source: The Economic Times, February 1, 2011

>MHRD & state governments spar over site of Central varsities

>The location of Central universities in Bihar and Kerala has become a prestige issue between the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the state governments. On Wednesday, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will raise the issue with the Prime Minister. Though Bihar government has selected a site in Motihari, the ministry has insisted that the varsity should be situated near Patna.

The Centre’s argument is that Motihari will not attract good faculty and students since it is far from the state capital and lacks infrastructure. Kumar has already announced that the site of the Central university will not be shifted. The CM had even made it a part of the assembly poll campaign.

Any change in venue, sources said, would snowball into a controversy in the state. At present, the varsity is functioning from rented premises in Patna. Bihar government officials maintain that development should be decentralized, and not just restricted to Patna and neighbouring areas.

Besides, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is coming up in Bihta, which is situated around 30 km from Patna. Since the ministry has refused to relent, sources said the matter would be taken up with the PM. Two years have already passed. The Central University in Bihar is going to lag behind its counterparts, a source said.

In Kerala, too, the state government has shortlisted a 500-acre plot in Kasargod. But despite the Centre’s objections over the fencing of the plot, the state government is reluctant to change the site.

Source: The Times of India, February 1, 2011