1,335,878 Indian Students Studying Abroad, 633 Reported Dead in 5 Years

The Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on 31 Jul that a total of 1,335,878 Indian students, including from Panjab, are currently studying abroad. Canada tops the list with 427K students, followed by the US with 337K students, the UK with 185K students, Australia with 122K students, and Germany with 42K students. This trend indicates a near doubling of Indian students studying abroad over the past six years from 675,541 in 2019. In a separate statement, Singh reported that 633 Indian students have died abroad over the past five years due to various causes. The highest fatalities are in Canada – 172, US – 108, UK – 58, Australia – 57, and Russia - 37. Singh disclosed 19 students died due to violent attacks, with Canada and the US accounting for nine and six of these deaths, respectively. A year back, investigation of overdose deaths among Panjabi students in Canada raised concerning questions about mental health and drug awareness. Singh emphasized the Indian government's commitment to the safety of Indian students abroad and noted that 48 Indian students were deported from the US in the past three years. Singh said, the US authorities have not officially shared any reasons for the expulsions with the Indian govt.