Concerns over student deaths abroad unlikely to dim demand

After 24-year-old Indian student, Gurvinder Nath, who was working as a food delivery partner in Canada, lost his life last year following a violent carjacking, his mother Narinder Devi, unable to bear the loss, committed suicide. His father, Krishna Dev, lives with searing regret about sending his son abroad.

“I thought his life will be better if he studies from Canada. Now, I regret [sending] my son to Canada,” Krishna Dev told University World News.

Nath moved to Canada from India in July 2021 and had big hopes for his future. While delivering pizza in the area of Britannia and Creditview roads in Mississauga, Ontario on 9 July, he was confronted by unidentified suspects who attempted to steal his vehicle. Nath was rushed to a trauma centre where he died on 14 July.

Nath forms part of a tragic total of 633 Indian students studying abroad who have died for various reasons over the past five years. The causes of the deaths include natural causes, accidents, and medical conditions, as reported by India's Ministry of External Affairs.

Violent incidents involving students studying abroad have sparked concern among parents and relatives. These worries extend not only to those currently overseas but also to students planning to study abroad in the future.

Namita Singh, a final-year graduate student in Delhi who aims to pursue a masters degree in Canada, told University World News the victimisation of Indian students in violent attacks abroad was profoundly troubling.

“In every case where an unfortunate incident takes place involving students, it is a great tragedy for the families and a significant concern for the student community.

“Security is definitely a priority for me when applying to study abroad. I want to ensure that I'm moving to a safe environment, so I'm currently weighing all the pros and cons,” said Singh.

Canada: Top student destination

According to figures supplied in the Lok Sabha (India’s lower house) by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on 28 July, Indian students have lost their lives across 41 countries in the past five-year period, with Canada – which attracts the highest numbers of Indian students – recording the highest number of deaths at 172, followed by the United States with 108 deaths.

Among those 19 Indian students were killed in attacks. Canada reported the most attack-related deaths at nine, followed by six in the United States. There was one death by attack each reported in Australia, China, the United Kingdom, and Kyrgyzstan.

The remaining 614 students died due to accidents or medical conditions, with 163 of those fatalities occurring in Canada. Following Canada, the US, the United Kingdom, and Australia have the next highest number of student deaths from accidents or medical conditions at 102, 57 and 56 deaths respectively.

After Canada and the US, countries with the highest numbers of student deaths include the UK (58), Australia (57), Russia (37), and Germany (24).

According to the information provided by Singh to the House, about 1.33 million Indian students are pursuing higher studies across 108 countries worldwide. Canada is the top destination, with 427,000 Indians currently enrolled in higher education institutions.

The US follows closely, hosting 337,630 Indian students, while about 185,000 Indian students are enrolled in the UK. Australia also attracts a significant number of Indian students, with 122,202 students enrolled.

No ‘specific safety concerns’ in Canada

Maria Mathai, director of New Delhi-based education consultancy M M Advisory Services, said the higher number of student deaths in Canada corresponds with the higher number of Indian students studying there and a rise in the number of Indian students going to Canada in the last four years.

Mathai said: “While these statistics are concerning, we need to interpret them correctly. Canada hosted 427,000 Indian students in 2023, almost double the 218,520 students hosted in 2019.

“And this figure in 2023 is 76,000 more than the Indian students in the US in the same year. The number of students in Canada is much higher now than in 2019, and significantly higher than other countries.”

She told University World News: “In the past two years, there were 82 student deaths in Canada and 70 in the United States. This translates to a rate of 0.9 deaths per 10,000 Indian students for both Canada and the US.”

Mathai emphasised the importance of student safety, stating that any loss of life is unfortunate. However, she pointed out that the data did not indicate any specific safety concerns for Indian students in Canada.

She said while these figures underscore the need for continued efforts to ensure international student safety, they were unlikely to significantly alter the trend of Indian students choosing top destinations like Canada.

“This is because universities in Canada have always been proactive in ensuring stringent safety measures combined with comprehensive support systems. That is why Canada has grown to become the top destination country for Indian students.

“Several years ago, there was a massive drop in student volumes to Australia from India as some targeted attacks against Indians happened, which had racist overtones.

“That created a palpable fear of insecurity, which impacted student numbers to Australia. There doesn't seem to be any such context in Canada,” said Mathai.

“While there will be some impact from the incidents, as some people will react negatively to any risk perception, I don't see a larger impact in the long term,” said Mathai.

Government commitment to safety

During his address in the Lok Sabha, Singh emphasised the Indian government's commitment to the safety of the country’s students abroad.

“Ensuring the safety and security of Indian students overseas is a top priority for the Government of India. Our Indian missions and posts abroad maintain ongoing communication with Indian students enrolled in universities around the world,” he said.

According to the official website of the Ministry of External Affairs, “Indian Missions and Posts abroad also encourage Indian students travelling overseas for higher studies to register with them and on the MADAD Portal (a consular services management system), so that their grievances and outstanding issues can be addressed in a timely manner.”

MADAD, the Hindi word for help or assistance, is a portal launched by the government for the registration of Indian students abroad or in the process of being admitted abroad.