MOS RK Ranjan bats for saving academic year for Indian students in Ukraine
Imphal: Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Education Dr RK Ranjan Singh has assured that the BJP government would ensure that none of the students who were forced to return home from war-ravaged Ukraine loses their academic year with the help of online classes and other means.
Briefing the media at the Imphal International Airport on Monday while receiving three Manipuri students evacuated from Ukraine, the Union MoS revealed that the relationship between Russia and Ukraine had deteriorated since 2014 and the external affairs ministry after becoming aware on January 14-15 that the situation was only going to worsen instructed all the mission offices and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to survey all the Indian students in the country and where they were located.
After the completion of the survey on January 31, around 19900 students were registered after they responded to the several advisories issued, Dr RK Ranjan said, adding that unfortunately, some Manipuri students couldn’t get their registration done after facing low signal issues.
We evacuated at least 4000 Indian students in commercial airlines before the war broke out on February 26, instructing all the students including those pursuing medical degrees to return home and attend their classes online until the situation improves, Dr RK Ranjan informed, adding that most of the Ukrainian universities also responded well.
After the air space blocked with the war being declared between the two countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructed us to set up a task force and opened new airlinks from four neighbouring countries including Poland by informing the embassies, we warned the students to race towards the border, the Union Minister said, adding that the students have endured a lot in the last many days from starvation to walking for 25 km without any access to water in extreme weather conditions.
Despite taking shelter in bunkers, they couldn’t go out and fetch water as they were in a war zone; they have gone through a lot in an extreme situation, the Union Minister revealed.
Till the day before, we have airlifted 16900 Indian students and we are planning to bring back more on 16 flights on Monday, he added.
Three MBBS students namely Takhellam Omnish, Nikita Nongmaithem and Maibam Lemba who were evacuated from Ukraine reached Imphal on Monday. They were warmly received by the Union MoS and his supporters at the Imphal International Airport.
