Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for Education Julia Gillard is currently on a five day visit to India. The purpose of her visit is to address several issues that will decide the future course of relations between India and Australia.

Her five day trip includes visits to New Delhi and Chennai. She will meet Human recourse Minister Mr Kapil Sibal during this visit. This visit is aimed at smoothening the way for the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd’s visit later this year.

She is on a mission to repair the damage which occurred to the multibillion education market for overseas Indian students due to recent spate of attacks targeting Indian students in Melbourne and Sydney.

Prior to leaving Australia Ms Gillard announced to the media in Australia that  the government was committed to taking its relationship with India to a higher level and engaging on a long-term, strategic basis.

The Government recently announced a review of the international education sector, including laws governing student visas, by former federal Liberal MP Bruce Baird.

During this visit Ms Gillard also expressed the current inability of Australian Government to sell uranium to India but did not make any speculation on whether Australia would change its stand anytime in the future.

Ms Gillard tried to reassure Indians that Australia is a safe place to send their sons and daughters to study, and also outlined the measures taken by Australian Government so far to restore confidence in Australia's treatment of Indian students.

Ms Gillard pointed out to the Indian media that the rapid growth in enrolment of Indian students in Australia in the last two years could have resulted in increased crimes against Indian students.

The new measures taken by Australian government to counter the crimes targeted against Indian students as  quoted by Ms Julia Gillard include a 24-hour hotline to help and record any crime against international students and increased police  patrolling in the areas where the attacks occurred.

Ms Gillard also mentioned in one of her interviews in New Delhi that she was also fascinated by the Indian history, about which she read in her school text books and is certainly enjoying her current visit to India.