More degree holders and fewer school dropouts in Indian community: Shanmugam
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A dance performance during an appreciation ceremony for donors, partners and volunteers of self-help group Sinda on April 19.
PHOTO: SINDA
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SINGAPORE – The Indian community here has progressed significantly, with national figures showing improvement in areas such as median household income and education.
Speaking on April 19 at an appreciation ceremony for donors, partners and volunteers of self-help group Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda), Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam noted that there are more Indian degree holders now.
Based on Singapore’s population census, he noted that the percentage of degree holders among the Indian community has more than doubled from 2000 to 2020.
Of those aged 25 and above, 41 per cent had degrees in 2020, up from 17.5 per cent in 2000.
This means that four in 10 Indians are graduates, said Mr Shanmugam, who is chairman of Sinda.
“Some of it is due to immigration, but a significant number is also due to the way in which the community has improved,” he added.
Mr Shanmugam said there were also fewer school dropouts, noting that the number of Indians who dropped out before completing secondary school fell by half from 2000 to 2020.
About 18 per cent of Indians left school without a secondary education in 2020, down from 38 per cent in 2000.
Mr Shanmugam said the median monthly income of Indian households has “increased by a very substantial 40 per cent in the 10 years between 2010 and 2020”, from $6,000 in 2010 to $8,500 in 2020.
However, he said more can be done. On the school front, he said the dropout rate can be further reduced.
“We can do better because one in five is still too much, but it isn’t four in 10,” Mr Shanmugam said.
In his speech, Sinda chief executive Anbarasu Rajendran said the organisation helped nearly 31,500 individuals in 2024 through a wide range of programmes.
He said this was possible with the support of 578 partners, including corporates, and more than 400 volunteers.
Sinda chief executive Anbarasu Rajendran said the organisation helped nearly 31,500 individuals in 2024 through a wide range of programmes.
PHOTO: SINDA
Mr Anbarasu added that Sinda received $1.7 million in donations in 2024.
The achievements of the Indian community were highlighted by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during a dialogue with Indian youth on April 13.
He noted that Indians in Singapore have made outsized contributions to the country in many areas, including in business, industry and the Government.
“You may be a small community but, certainly, your contributions to Singapore and the impact that you have on Singapore are not small at all,” said PM Wong.
In his speech, the Prime Minister said the PAP will field a number of Indians in the upcoming election. Singaporeans will go to the polls on May 3.
New faces who have been recently spotted with political leaders include former Agency for Integrated Care CEO Dinesh Vasu Dash,
Indian orthopaedic surgeon Hamid Razak is part of the PAP’s slate for West Coast-Jurong West GRC, while Mr Jagathishwaran Rajo, a trade unionist for 13 years, will contest WP-held Aljunied GRC.
In the 2020 General Election, the PAP did not field any Indian candidates among its slate of 27 new faces, which sparked questions about the ethnic group’s representation in Parliament.
Correction note: An earlier version of this story stated that in 2000, 16.5 per cent of Indians aged 25 and above held degrees. The Ministry of Law has clarified that the correct figure is 17.5 per cent.
