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Hyderabad: Just as a knife attack in which four Indian students were injured in Russia casts a spotlight on the challenges they face in the country, the latest data from the Ministry of External Affairs shows that more than 50 per cent of all complaints of exploitation and racial discrimination reported by Indian students globally came from Russia, with Moscow emerging as the biggest hotspot. Data shows that in 2025, Indian students from 196 countries received about 350 complaints of exploitation, harassment and racial discrimination. Among them, there are more than 200 cases in Russia alone.

Of serious concern is the sharp increase in such cases over the past three years – from 68 complaints in 2023 to 78 in 2024 and to 201 in 2025. Most of the Indian medical students in Russia come from the following states: rajasthangujarat, andhra pradeshTelangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. While Russia remains one of the most popular destinations for Indian students, especially those pursuing medical education, due to relatively low tuition fees and easier admissions process, the sharp rise in complaints has raised serious safety concerns. unreported cases fear of deportation Russian students interviewed by The Times of India said they were regularly discriminated against by students from other countries, and some even claimed that the universities themselves subjected them to emotional harassment, including threats of expulsion for minor issues or infractions. Many of their grievances never reach official channels, they say, for fear of university retaliation or complications related to visas and immigration. “When I was in sixth grade, a group of foreign students attacked Indian students and threatened them with knives over a small dispute in the dormitory kitchen,” said Kanishka K, a graduate of Moscow’s Bashkir State Medical University. He reiterated that “many such incidents are never reported because students fear being targeted or expelled.” Members of the Association of Foreign Medical Graduates acknowledge that racial profiling, verbal abuse and a lack of institutional support are common among Indian students in Russia. “Complaints are rarely taken seriously. Students suffer in silence as colleges often marginalize them,” said D Kaushal, coordinator of all FMGs. He further claimed that while Russian regulations limit the number of foreign students admitted to each institution to around 200, some universities admitted more than 1,200 students and then expelled them, sometimes even in sixth grade, in violation of norms. “Such expulsions put students in serious financial and psychological distress,” he said. FMG said that due to the deteriorating situation, many Indian students are now choosing Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Manoj Kumar, president of the Indian FMGs Association, said: “Due to these issues, the number of Indian students choosing Russia has dropped significantly in recent years, by at least 50%. In addition, since the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Indian students’ interest in pursuing MBBS in Russia has declined due to security concerns and academic uncertainty.” student mission welfare matters At the same time, in response to a recent inquiry from LS about the exploitation, detention, wage theft and racial discrimination faced by Indian workers and students overseas, Indian Foreign Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh said that Indian embassies, consulates and consulates abroad have deployed specialized officials to handle matters related to education and student welfare. “Our missions maintain regular contact with Indian students studying abroad and inform them about the challenges and threats, if any, they may face during their stay there. Heads of mission and senior embassy officials visit foreign educational institutions in their respective accrediting countries to interact with Indian students and student associations,” he said.