CANBERRA: A top Australian security official will head an inquiry into violent attacks on Indian students, which have become a diplomatic issue with New Delhi, the government said yesterday.

Hate crimes would also be made an offence in the state of Victoria, where most of the attacks have occurred.

National Security Advisor Duncan Lewis would oversee the response of authorities to a series of assaults over 18 months, which Indian students believe have been racially motivated, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith told parliament.