Lok Sabha Question No. 3704 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-25
Subject: Evacuation of Indian Citizens
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Deepak (Dev) Adhikari, Bholanath (B.P. Saroj), Girish Bhalchandra Bapat, Hanuman Beniwal, Ranjeeta Koli, Nusrat Jahan Ruhi, Jayanta Kumar Roy, Mala Roy, Talari Rangaiah, Margani Bharat, Suresh Kumar Kashyap, Adoor Prakash, Thomas Chazhikadan, Ritesh Pandey, Subrata Pathak, Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar, Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil, Shrirang Appa Barne, Sajda Ahmed, K. Subbarayan, Dayanidhi Maran, Su Thirunavukkarasar, Rakesh Singh, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Sudheer Gupta, Pritam Gopinath Munde, Pratima Mondal, Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Pushpendra Singh Chandel, Sumedhanand Saraswati, Deepak Baij, N.K. Premachandran, Jagdambika Pal, Prataprao  Jadhav, Ravneet Singh, Anto  Antony, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, T. R. Paarivendhar, Sunil Kumar, Vijayakumar (alias) Vijay Vasanth, T.N. Prathapan, Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel, P.P. Chaudhary, Rahul Kaswan, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Gautam Gambhir, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 3704 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.03.2022

## EVACUATION OF INDIAN CITIZENS

## 3704. SHRI ADHIKARI DEEPAK(DEV): SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL: ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH: SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN: SHRI RITESH PANDEY : SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL: SHRI SURESH KUMAR KASHYAP : SHRI RAVNEET SINGH BITTU: SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR(ALIAS) VIJAY VASANTH : SHRIMATI KANIMOZHI KARUNANIDHI: DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE: SHRI SUNIL KUMAR: DR. T.R. PAARIVENDHAR: SHRIMATI SAJDA AHMED: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRIMATI PRATIMA MONDAL: SHRI BHOLANATH(B. P. SAROJ): SHRI B.B. PATIL: SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE: SHRI SUBRAT PATHAK: SHRIMATI NUSRAT JAHAN RUHI: SHRI ANTO ANTONY: DR. TALARI RANGAIAH: SHRIMATI RANJEETA KOLI: SHRI DEEPAK BAIJ: SHRI DAYANIDHI MARAN: SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI: SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL: SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN: SHRIMATI MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH : DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY: SHRI MARGANI BHARAT: SHRI RAKESH SINGH: SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU: SHRI SUBBARAYAN K.: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRIMATI MALA ROY: SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV: SHRI THIRUNAVUKKARASAR SU: SHRI GIRISH BHALCHANDRA BAPAT: SHRI T. N. PRATHAPAN: SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:

## SHRI P. P . CHAUDHARY: SHRI RAHUL KASWAN: SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: SHRI GAUTAM GAMBHIR: SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO: SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :

- (a) whether Indians particularly students stranded in Ukraine due to Russia Ukraine war are facing hardships, if so, the details thereof indicating the number of Indians staying and students studying along with those injured/killed therein ;
- (b) whether evacuation was delayed after the issue of advisory due to absence of state owned airlines, if so, the details thereof   indicating   the   number   of   flights   operated   under Operation   Ganga   since   15 th February,   2022   persons rescued/evacuated till date and those still stranded, Statewise;
- (c) whether the Government has provided any assistance to displaced and deceased Indians, if so, the details thereof including steps taken for completion of medical education in Indian medical colleges;
- (d) the details of facilities being provided by Indian Embassy in Ukraine   along   with   the   complaints   received   against   its officials for not helping students to get essential items like food/water;
- (e) whether   the   Government   has   any   information   regarding price hike/unavailability of air tickets by any Indian airlines, if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the steps including diplomatic parleys taken/being taken by the Government to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and defuse the war situations?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [SMT. MEENAKASHI LEKHI]

- (a) Around   22500   Indian   nationals,   mostly   students,   have returned from Ukraine to India safely since 1 February 2022 till date. Our Embassy in Ukraine continues to be in touch with the remaining Indian nationals in Ukraine who have registered with the Embassy. It is estimated that there may be around 50 Indian nationals still in Ukraine, including 15-20 who may be willing to return to India. The Embassy is facilitating their return where possible.

One Indian national, Harjot Singh, suffered bullet injuries but was evacuated safely to India under medical supervision. Naveen   Shekarappa   Gyanagaudar,   a   final   year   medical student of Kharkiv Medical University, unfortunately lost his life on 2 March 2022.

(b) In view of the continued build-up of tensions in February, the Embassy of India in Kyiv issued an advisory on 15 February, 2022 advising Indian nationals  in  Ukraine,   whose   stay   is   not essential, to leave the country temporarily. Further advisories were   also   given   on   20   February   and   22   February   pressing students to leave Ukraine. Air-bubble restrictions then in force were immediately lifted in consultation with Ukrainian side to increase the number of direct flights. As a result, around 4000 Indian nationals departed from Ukraine by direct and indirect flights till 23 February 2022.

Following   the   closure   of   airspace   of   Ukraine   due   to   the outbreak of conflict on 24 February 2022, Government of India facilitated the evacuation of around 18500 Indian nationals after 24 February till date. Under Operation Ganga, 90 flights, of which 76 were commercial airlines and 14 IAF flights were operated till date at GOI cost.

(c) Government provided all possible assistance in terms of shelter,   food,   medical   attention   where   required,   to   displaced Indians who crossed over to the western neighbours of Ukraine. They were eventually evacuated through flights operated under Operation Ganga.

The Indian  Embassy in  Ukraine   facilitated   the   repatriation   of mortal remains of 2 deceased Indians back to their home in India.

The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Education are considering various aspects of the completion of medical education of Indian students who have returned from Ukraine.

(d) Our Embassy in Ukraine has been working incessantly to contact   Indian   nationals,   arranging   and   facilitating   transport, coordinating   with   local authorities, providing   food   etc. Throughout the evacuation exercise, our Embassy was in constant touch with the Ukrainian authorities.

(e) Under   Operation   Ganga,   90   flights,   of   which   76   were commercial airlines and 14 IAF flights were operated till date at GOI cost.

(f) Prime   Minister   spoke   to   the   Presidents   of   Russia   and Ukraine on multiple occasions. He specifically took up the issue of safe evacuation of Indian nationals, especially from Kharkiv and Sumy.   Prime   Minister   also   spoke   to   the   Prime   Ministers   of Romania,   Slovak   Republic   and   Hungary   and   the   President   of Poland to seek their support for facilitation of entry of Indian

nationals to their countries.  External Affairs Minister was also been in constant touch with his counterparts from Russia and Ukraine for similar reasons. Foreign Secretary maintained contact with Ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine in New Delhi, while Ambassadors in Kyiv and Moscow followed up in their respective capitals.

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