Lok Sabha Question No. 988 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-05
Subject: Consular Services
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Balram Naik Porika

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 988 ANSWERED ON- 05/12/2025 CONSULAR SERVICES

## 988.   SHRI BALRAM NAIK PORIKA

Will the Minister of  EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-

(a) the details of  the Indian citizens who were evacuated from conflict zones during the last  three   years   indicating   the   expenditure   incurred thereon;

(b) the average waiting time for passport services in Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK), categories and location-wise;

(c) the measures being taken to protect the rights and welfare of  Indian workers in Gulf countries; and

(d) the details of  cases of  distressed Indian nationals abroad handled and assistance being provided to them?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)

(a) During the last three years, the Government of  India has safely evacuated 28169 stranded Indian nationals from conflict zones. During these evacuations, the Government provided logistical support, including safe shelter, food and international transportation by arranging special evacuation flights for the stranded Indian nationals on gratis basis. The country-wise   details   of   evacuation   operations,   along   with   expenditure incurred is attached as Annexure-I. (b) RPO-wise details of  average waiting time for passport services at PSK and POSK is attached as Annexure-II. (c & d) The Government accords highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of  Indian nationals abroad including Indian workers in Gulf Countries and has taken several measures in this endeavour. To ensure safe and orderly emigration for Indian workers, the process of  recruitment is done through eMigrate portal. The web-based application makes the process of  emigration fully digital, transparent, safe, legal, humane, efficient, convenient and faster. Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojna (PBBY), a mandatory insurance scheme

for ECR category Indian migrant workers and Pre-Departure Orientation &

Training (PDOT), a one-day training programme on soft skills, are in place to ensure that Indian migrant workers undertake safe migration, are aware of   their   rights   and   have   access   to   various   welfare   schemes   of   the Government.

Indian citizens abroad can reach out to the Ministry/Missions/Posts through   various   channels/mechanisms   like   walk-in,   email,   multilingual 24x7   emergency   numbers,   open   houses   conducted   by   the   Missions, grievances redressal portals like MADAD, CPGRAMS, eMigrate and social media etc, in case they need any assistance.

Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSK) have been set up in New Delhi, Dubai (UAE), Riyadh and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)   and   Kshetriya   Pravasi   Sahayata   Kendras   (KPSKs)   in   Kochi, Hyderabad,   Chennai,   Lucknow,   Patna   and   Chandigarh   to   provide assistance, guidance and counselling to Indian nationals in distress.

As   additional   safeguard   for   Female   workers   (including   domestic sector workers) to protect   them against exploitation, Government has authorized   only   State   run   Recruiting   Agencies   (RAs)   to   recruit   Indian female   ECR   category   workers   having   minimum   age   of   30   years   for overseas employment in Gulf  and other ECR Category Countries through the e-Migrate Portal. The Missions in Gulf  Countries have provisions for

shelter home to assist Indian women in distress by providing boarding and lodging, medical treatment and arranging for their repatriation. Based on MoUs signed with the GCC countries, matters related to welfare and protection of  workers are taken up during regular meetings of Joint Working Groups with concerned countries. In addition, such matters are also regularly taken up with respective host governments through diplomatic channels.

Furthermore, The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) has also been set up for assisting overseas Indian nationals in distress, repatriation of  mortal remains and for extension of  counselling and legal assistance etc on a means tested basis.  During the last three years, the Government has extended assistance to 2,38,141 (till June 2025) distressed Indian nationals through ICWF and evacuated 28169 stranded Indian nationals from conflict zones.

## Annexure-I

## Details of Stranded Indian citizens evacuated from conflict zones during the last three years

| Year of Evacuation   | Country of evacuation & Name of the Operation   | Total number of persons evacuated (including foreign nationals)   | Total funds utilized (in ₹)   |
|----------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| February 2022        | Ukraine Operation Ganga                         | 18,282                                                            | 116.5 Crore                   |
| April-May 2023       | Sudan Operation Kaveri                          | 4097                                                              | 45.63 Crore                   |
| October 2023         | Israel Operation Ajay                           | 1343 (including 14 OCI card holders and 20 foreign nationals)     | 16.87 Crore                   |
| December 2024        | Syria                                           | 77                                                                | 39.95 Lakhs                   |
| March 2024           | Haiti                                           | 17                                                                | 48.34 Lakhs                   |

|           | Operation Indravati                |                                                                                    |
|-----------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| June 2025 | Operation Sindhu (Iran and Israel) | Iran - 3597 (including 14 OCI Card holders and 14 foreign 27.68 Crore (as on date) |

Government of India has evacuated 28169 stranded Indian nationals and

62 foreign nationals from conflict zone during last 3 years.

## Annexure-II

## Average appointment cycle/waiting time for Passport Services (RPO Wise)

|         |            | PSK              | PSK              | PSK              | POPSK            | POPSK            |
|---------|------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
|         |            | Normal           | PCC              | Tatkaal          | Normal           | PCC              |
| Sl. No. | RPO        | Average of WDAYS | Average of WDAYS | Average of WDAYS | Average of WDAYS | Average of WDAYS |
| 1       | Ahmedabad  | 7                | 1                | 1                | 6                | 1                |
| 2       | Amritsar   | 1                | 1                | 1                | 7                | 1                |
| 3       | Bangalore  | 7                | 1                | 1                | 5                | 1                |
| 4       | Bareilly   | 25               | 1                | 1                | 31               | 2                |
| 5       | Bhopal     | 1                | 1                | 1                | 4                | 1                |
| 6       | Bhubneswar | 2                | 1                | 1                | 2                | 1                |
| 7       | Chandigarh | 1                | 1                | 1                | 4                | 1                |
| 8       | Chennai    | 4                | 2                | 1                | 7                | 1                |
| 9       | Cochin     | 3                | 1                | 1                | 7                | 4                |
| 10      | Coimbatore | 10               | 1                | 9                | 4                | 1                |
| 11      | Dehradun   | 8                | 2                | 1                | 3                | 1                |
| 12      | Delhi      | 11               | 1                | 1                | 33               | 1                |
| 13      | Ghaziabad  | 15               | 1                | 1                | 19               | 1                |

|   14 | Goa       |   1 |   1 | 1   |   6 | 1   |
|------|-----------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|   15 | Guwahati  |   2 |   1 | 1   |   3 | 1   |
|   16 | Hyderabad |   7 |   2 | 3   |   2 | 1   |
|   17 | Jaipur    |   2 |   1 | 1   |   4 | 2   |
|   18 | Jalandhar |   1 |   1 | 1   |   1 | 1   |
|   19 | Jammu     |   1 |   1 | -   |   7 | 1   |
|   20 | Kolkata   |   4 |   1 | 1   |   3 | 1   |
|   21 | Kota      |   1 |   1 | 1   |   1 | 1   |
|   22 | Kozhikode |   4 |   1 | 1   |   7 | 1   |
|   23 | Lucknow   |  13 |   4 | 1   |   8 | -   |
|   24 | Madurai   |   1 |   1 | 1   |   2 | 1   |
|   25 | Mumbai    |  16 |   4 | 2   |  21 | 3   |
|   26 | Nagpur    |   1 |   1 | 2   |   2 | 1   |
|   27 | Patna     |   2 |   1 | 1   |   3 | 1   |
|   28 | Pune      |  15 |   3 | 1   |   6 | 1   |
|   29 | Raipur    |   1 |   1 | 1   |   2 | 1   |
|   30 | Ranchi    |   1 |   1 | 1   |   2 | 1   |
|   31 | Shimla    |   1 |   1 | 1   |   1 | 1   |
|   32 | Srinagar  |   1 |   1 | -   |   3 | 1   |
|   33 | Surat     |  15 |   1 | 1   |   3 | 1   |

|   34 | Trichy        |   1 |   1 |   1 |   2 |   1 |
|------|---------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
|   35 | Trivandrum    |   2 |   1 |   1 |  12 |   2 |
|   36 | Vijayawada    |  12 |   1 |   2 |  16 |   1 |
|   37 | Visakhapatnam |   8 |   9 |   1 |   4 |   9 |

WDAYS = Working Days (as on 21.11.2025)

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