A knife attack that injured four Indian students in Passka has once again drawn attention to the challenges faced by young Indians studying abroad. Fresh data from the external affairs ministry reveals a troubling trend: more than half of all complaints of exploitation and racial discrimination filed by Indian students worldwide come from Russia, making it the biggest hotspot for such grievances.
In 2025, Indian students in 196 countries reported around 350 complaints related to harassment, exploitation or racial bias. Shockingly, 201 of those complaints originated in Russia alone followed by France (97), Georgia (20), Kyrgyzstan (14), US (13) and Germany (6).
What’s even more worrying is the steep rise in such cases over the past three years — from 68 complaints in 2023, to 78 in 2024, and shooting up to 201 in 2025. A large share of Indian medical students in Russia hail from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Despite Russia’s popularity — thanks to lower fees and relatively simpler admission procedures — the rapidly growing number of incidents has triggered serious safety concerns.
Minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said that the government has posted dedicated officers in Indian missions abroad to address student welfare issues.
“Our missions stay in constant touch with Indian students abroad, updating them on any potential challenges or risks they may face. Senior embassy officials, including heads of missions, regularly visit universities to meet students and interact with their associations.”, he said.
Members of the Foreign Medical Graduates Association have acknowledged widespread racial profiling, verbal abuse and weak institutional support for Indian students studying in Russia.
The deteriorating environment has pushed many students to look elsewhere. A significant chunk of Indian aspirants are now shifting to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, both perceived as safer and more stable. They estimate that the number of Indians choosing Russia has dropped by nearly 50% in recent years. The Russia-Ukraine war, which broke out in 2022, has further dampened interest due to fears over safety and academic disruption.
