403 Indian students died abroad since 2018, most deaths happened in Canada, says Centre

403 Indian students have died abroad since 2018 due to various reasons including natural causes and accidents, the government said on Friday. Out of the 34 nations, the most deaths occurred in Canada. The data was presented in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister V Muraleedharan, who said that 403 Indian students have died abroad since 2018. According to data submitted by the ministry, Canada has reported 91 deaths of Indian students since 2018 followed by the United Kingdom (48), Russia (40), the United States (36), Australia (35), Ukraine (21), Germany (20), Cyprus (14), Italy and the Philippines (10 each). He also emphasised the Centre’s commitment to the safety and well-being of Indian students abroad, pledging to address individual cases and work toward preventing any untoward incidents in the future. He said that heads of mission and senior officials regularly visit colleges and universities to interact with Indian students studying there. “The safety and security of Indian students abroad is one of the foremost priorities for the Government of India,” he said. “In case there is any untoward incident, it is immediately taken up with the concerned authorities of the host country to ensure that the incident is properly investigated and the perpetrators are punished,” he added. The distressed students are also offered comprehensive consular assistance, including emergency medical care, boarding, and lodging when needed, he said. When asked about the high number of deaths of Indian students, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that a high number of students were also going abroad to study. “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 it up such cases with the local authorities,” Bagchi told reporters at the weekly briefing.