New Delhi, December 4: Over 18.8 lakh Indian students are currently studying abroad, with the highest numbers in the UAE (2.53 lakh), Canada (4.27 lakh), the US (2.55 lakh), Australia (1.96 lakh), and the UK (1.73 lakh).
Kirti Vardhan Singh, External Affairs Minister, shared this data in the Rajya Sabha today. Indian students are spread across 153 countries, including smaller destinations like Armenia and Cyprus, hosting many medical aspirants.
Over the past five years, Indian students faced deportation or entry denial due to violations of visa norms, such as illegal employment, unpaid fees, poor attendance, and incomplete documents.
The UK deported 170 students, while the US deported 45 and denied entry to 62. Other countries, including Russia, Ukraine, and Australia, also saw deportations.
To protect students, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regularly interacts with students abroad, issues advisories against unaccredited courses, and offers support through portals, helplines, and welfare funds. The MEA also cited its evacuation operations, such as Operations Ganga (Ukraine) and Kaveri (Sudan), highlighting its commitment to student safety abroad.
