Five Australian universities have placed restrictions on student applications from India due to the COVID-19 crisis. The universities include the University of New South Wales, Deakin University, the University of Sydney, Monash University, and La Trobe University.
The restrictions will affect new applications from India for the upcoming academic year. However, current students and those who have already received offers of admission will not be affected by the restrictions. The universities have cited the surge in COVID-19 cases in India as the reason for the restrictions.
The University of New South Wales has said that it will not consider any new applications from India for the rest of the year. Deakin University has suspended all new applications from India until further notice. The University of Sydney has also paused new applications from India for now.
Monash University has decided to limit new applications from India to postgraduate students only. La Trobe University has said that it will continue to accept applications from India, but only from students who are already enrolled in a degree program in Australia.
The Australian government has imposed strict travel restrictions on people coming from India due to the COVID-19 crisis. The country has also reduced the number of international arrivals to ease the burden on its quarantine system. These measures have made it difficult for international students to travel to Australia for their studies.
The restrictions on student applications from India have drawn criticism from some quarters. The National Union of Students has said that the restrictions are discriminatory and could lead to a decline in the number of Indian students coming to Australia.
Australia has been a popular destination for Indian students seeking higher education. In 2019, Indian students made up the second-largest group of international students in Australia, after students from China. The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted the plans of many international students, including those from India.
