The Supreme Court has asked the Central government to provide details of steps initiated to ensure safety of Indian students facing racial attacks in Australia and Canada by June 26.

A vacation bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Asok Kumar Ganguly also asked the Attorney General of India to assist the court in the matter, which was posted for further hearing to June 29.

The apex court passed the direction in response to submissions made by the petitioner D K Garg, an advocate, who had accused the Central government of inaction in dealing with the racial attacks on Indian students in Australia and Canada.

The spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia and Canada which Indian media have called race-based have sparked protests in India.

Close on the heels of Indians being targeted in Australia, six members of the Indian expatriate community in Canada were racially abused and assaulted by a group of youths while playing tennis on the outskirts of Vancouver.