SC closes cases on evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine as Centre says all returned

The Centre on March 21 informed the Supreme Court that under the aegis of the Government of India's 'Operation Ganga', more than twenty thousand Indian nationals, who were stranded in the war-ravaged Ukraine, have been retrieved. Subsequently, the Apex Cout dismissed two cases stating, "nothing remains in this matter as (Indian) students have come back." At the outset of the Russia-led invasion of Kyiv, GoI's utmost priority was to ensure and execute the safe evacuation of 22,500 citizens stranded in the eastern European country. 

After the Centre informed the Supreme Court that it has completed the 'mammoth job' of evacuating 22,500 Indian students from the war zone, a bench comprising Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justice Murari took note of Attorney General KK Venugopal's submissions. The AG's further told the Court that the Centre, apart from evacuating Indian students, is looking into their representation on the remainder of degree and their studies after being obstructed by the war. 

Two cases on the safe evacuation of Indians stranded in Ukraine closed by Supreme Court

"A mammoth job has been done by the government and 22,500 students have been brought back. The government is looking into the representation (of students) and the government will look into it," AG Venugopal said to the Bench as they closed the cases. 

Advocate Vishal Tiwari, who filed a PIL in a personal capacity, submitted that the students who have been brought back from Ukraine are granted ways to complete and continue their education. 

On March 4, the Apex Court took note of the submissions that the Centre had evacuated 17,000 stranded Indian students while hearing two pleas, filed by Tiwari and Bengaluru resident Fathima Ahana. The plea filed by Ahana sought directions to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to secure approval for stranded students to cross the checkpoint in Moldova from Ukraine en route to Romania to board one of 90 special evacuation flights. 

Notably, the plea sought SC's directions to the MEA to prompt effective diplomatic measures for the evacuation from Ukraine to India.

Operation Ganga

Under the aegis of Operation Ganga, the Union government evacuated Indians who crossed the Ukraine border from Hungary, Poland, Romania, Moldova and Slovakia. Also, Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (retd) VK Singh reached Hungary, Slovakia and Poland, respectively, Jyotiraditya Scindia went to Romania and Moldova to coordinate the evacuation mission and extend assistance to the stranded nationals. 

Despite that an Indian 4th-year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University, Naveen, was killed in a Russian shelling in Kharkiv, the Centre managed to rescue about 22,500 citizens from Ukraine via 90 special flights.

Image: ANI