Data shows that 91 Indian students died in Canada. (representative)
New Delhi:
The Indian government informed the Lok Sabha on Friday that there have been a total of 403 deaths of Indian students abroad since 2018 due to natural causes, accidents and medical conditions, with the highest death toll in Canada at 91, followed by the United Kingdom at 48. .
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the welfare of Indian overseas students is one of the government’s top priorities.
“According to information available to the ministry, 403 incidents of deaths of Indian students due to various reasons including natural causes, accidents and medical conditions have been reported since 2018,” he said.
Jaishankar was responding to questions about the safety of Indian students abroad.
“Indian missions/posts abroad will respond on a priority basis to any issues faced by Indian students,” he said.
Jaishankar also provided national details on the deaths of Indian students overseas since 2018.
Data shows that 91 Indian students have died in Canada, 48 in the UK, 40 in Russia, 36 in the US, 35 in Australia, 21 in Ukraine and 20 in Germany.
According to statistics, 14 Indian students died in Cyprus, 10 each in the Philippines and Italy, and 9 each in Qatar, China and Kyrgyzstan.
Responding to another question, External Affairs Minister Muraledharan said India’s policy towards Palestine is long-term and consistent.
“We support a negotiated two-state solution to establish a sovereign, independent and viable Palestinian state within secure and recognized borders, living in peace with Israel,” he said.
The minister said India strongly condemns the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel and the loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We call for restraint and de-escalation and emphasize the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.
Responding to another question, Indian External Affairs Minister Raj Kumar Ranjan Singh said that India’s “neighborhood first policy” continues to guide its approach to managing relations with neighboring countries.
He said the policy was an institutional priority for all relevant government departments.
“The ‘Neighborhood First’ policy, among other things, enhances physical, digital and people-to-people connections across the region and expands trade and commerce,” Singh said.
“The government continues to monitor all developments affecting India’s national security interests and take all necessary measures to safeguard national security interests,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
