The government announced today that 403 Indian students have died abroad since 2018 due to various reasons, including natural causes and accidents. Union Minister V Muraleedharan presented the data in the Rajya Sabha, revealing that Canada reported the highest number of deaths among the 34 nations, with 91 Indian student fatalities since 2018. Other countries with significant numbers include the United Kingdom (48), Russia (40), the United States (36), Australia (35), Ukraine (21), Germany (20), Cyprus (14), Italy, and the Philippines (10 each).
Emphasizing the government's commitment to the safety and well-being of Indian students abroad, Muraleedharan pledged to address individual cases and prevent untoward incidents in the future. He highlighted the regular visits of heads of mission and senior officials to colleges and universities to interact with Indian students.
"The safety and security of Indian students abroad is one of the foremost priorities for the Government of India," Muraleedharan stated. In case of any untoward incident, immediate action is taken with the concerned authorities of the host country to ensure proper investigation and punishment for the perpetrators.
Regarding the high number of student deaths, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi commented that a significant number of students are going abroad to study. He added, "I don't know if this is an issue that merits taking up with the government. There are individual incidents where there has been foul play and others... Our consulates do reach out to families, we also take up such cases with the local authorities," during a weekly briefing with reporters.
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