In a bid to keep a tab on terrorist activities in the city and Pune, the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has asked both the University of Mumbai and University of Pune to furnish details of foreign students enrolled with them.
The universities have issued circulars to affiliated colleges asking them to provide the details as soon as possible. While MU has only about 206 foreign students enrolled for 2012-13, Pune University has approximately 7,000 students and the universities have been asked to furnish all details including visa validity, residential proof, attendance and examination records of the students.
According to university sources, officials of the ATS had held various meetings with university authorities regarding foreign students enrolled with them since the start of the academic year. Following the same, both the universities issued circulars informing all affiliated colleges and institutions to provide all the information pertaining to foreign students they have admitted for degree college courses.
“Students from the Middle East and African nations tend to come to India to study information technology, BMS, BMM, finance and insurance among other courses as they perceive that a degree in these courses will help them kickstart their careers in their respective countries,” said Mridul Nile, director of Students Welfare, MU.
Confirming the ATS requisition to the MU, Mr Nile said that as enrollments and admissions were still underway, the University would wait for the colleges to furnish the relevant documents, which would then be forwarded to the ATS.
According to ATS sources, due to the rising instances of violence in some parts of the Middle East, it was incumbent to keep a check. Hence, attendance and examination records are sought from the colleges of these students to keep track of the antecedents of the foreign students at all times.
However, when asked about the requisition from the universities ATS chief Rakesh Maria denied asking for the same though both the university circulars have made it amply clear that the information being sought was at the behest of the ATS.