Russia accounts for over 50% plaints by Indian students abroad: MEA

HYDERABAD: At a clip erstwhile a weapon onslaught that near 4 Indian students injured successful Russia has enactment the spotlight connected the challenges faced by them successful the country, latest outer affairs ministry information shows that implicit 50% of each complaints of exploitation and radical favoritism reported by Indian students globally originate from Russia, with Moscow emerging arsenic the biggest hotspot. As per the data, Indian students crossed 196 countries registered astir 350 complaints of exploitation, harassment and radical favoritism successful 2025. Of these, much than 200 came from Russia alone.

What has raised superior interest is the steep emergence successful specified cases implicit the past 3 years - from 68 complaints successful 2023 to 78 successful 2024, earlier surging to 201 successful 2025. The bulk of Indian aesculapian students successful Russia beryllium to states specified arsenic Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. While Russia remains 1 of the astir fashionable destinations for Indian students, peculiarly those pursuing aesculapian education, owed to comparatively little tuition fees and easier admittance processes, the crisp summation successful complaints has triggered superior information concerns. Cases unreported for fear of expulsion Students successful Russia whom TOI spoke to said they are routinely discriminated against by students from different countries, with immoderate adjacent alleging intelligence harassment by universities themselves, including threats of expulsion implicit insignificant issues oregon violations. They said galore of their grievances ne'er scope authoritative channels owed to fearfulness of retaliation from varsities oregon complications related to visas and immigration.

"During my sixth year, a radical of overseas students attacked Indian students successful the hostel room implicit a insignificant statement and threatened them with a knife," said Kanishka K, a postgraduate from Bashkir State Medical University, Moscow. He reiterated that "many specified incidents are ne'er reported due to the fact that students are frightened of being targeted oregon expelled". Members of Foreign Medical Graduates associations admitted to wide radical profiling, verbal maltreatment and a deficiency of organization enactment for Indian students successful Russia.

"Complaints are seldom taken seriously. Students endure successful soundlessness arsenic universities often sideline them," said D Kaushal, coordinator of All FMGs. He further claimed that portion Russian regulations bounds overseas intake to astir 200 students per institution, immoderate universities admit implicit 1,200 students and aboriginal expel them, sometimes adjacent successful sixth year, successful usurpation of norms. "Such expulsions permission students successful terrible fiscal and intelligence distress," helium said. Owing to the deteriorating situation, FMGs accidental galore Indian students are present opting for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan instead. "The fig of Indian students choosing Russia has declined significantly, by astatine slightest 50%, successful caller years owed to these issues. Moreover, since the Russia-Ukraine warfare successful 2022, Indian students person shown declining involvement successful pursuing MBBS successful Russia due to the fact that of information concerns and world uncertainty," said Manoj Kumar, president of the FMGs Association of India. Missions for pupil welfare matters Meanwhile, replying to a caller LS query connected Indian workers and students facing exploitation, detention, wage denial and radical favoritism abroad, curate of authorities for outer affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said dedicated officers person been posted successful Indian missions and posts overseas to grip acquisition and pupil welfare-related matters. "Our missions support regular interaction with Indian students enrolled overseas and little them connected challenges and threats, if any, that they whitethorn face during their enactment there. Heads of missions and elder embassy officers sojourn overseas acquisition institutions successful their respective countries of accreditation to interact with Indian students and students' associations," helium said.