Summary
Centre says rescued students will not be charged for evacuation flights
Indian evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest (Romania) and Budapest (Hungary)
As India stepped up its evacuation drive in war-torn Ukraine, students began streaming into their hometowns from the various airports in Bihar, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh among other states.
Rescued students reunited with their families outside the Jayprakash Narayan International Airport in Patna on February 28, thanking the Centre and the state government for ensuring their safe evacuation.
“The Indian Embassy was very supportive. The embassy took us to the Ukraine-Romania border, passports were checked there and we entered Romania and were sent to India,” said Ashish Giri, a medical student from Motihari.
Bihar deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad and state ministers Shahnawaz Hussain and Sanjay Jha were among those who welcomed the students at the airport. Soon after the arrival of the first batch of students, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar thanked the Centre for arranging special flights to bring back those stranded in Ukraine.
The Centre has said the rescued students will not be charged for the evacuation flights. The Bihar government has offered to bear the expenses of the remaining part of the commute for those hailing from the state.
Deputy CM Prasad said, “The government has a list of 273 students from the state stranded in Ukraine. This number can go up. The state government is collecting details from the district authorities in this regard.”
Gujarat CM greets students at airport with flowers
Flowers in tow, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel welcomed 27 students hailing from the state, who reached Gandhinagar on February 28 in a bus from Delhi where they had landed after evacuation from Ukraine by a special flight.
In the past two days, around 100 students studying in war-torn Ukraine have reached their home state Gujarat from Mumbai and Delhi. The 27 students who reached capital Gandhinagar hail from different parts of Gujarat. The state government is making arrangements to send them along with their parents to their respective destinations, the government said in a statement. Patel interacted with the students and assured their parents of all possible help from the government.
Chhattisgarh welcomes first batch of six students
A relieved Paras Sahu said the journey from Ukraine to his hometown in Chhattisgarh would remain etched in his memory. The 24-year-old was among the first batch of six students from the state who arrived in capital Raipur after being flown into the country from Ukraine late on February 27.
An official said chief minister Bhupesh Baghel met these six students, all pursuing medicine in Ukraine, at Chhattisgarh Sadan in Delhi after their flight landed.
Sahu, a first year medical student, said his university in Ukraine’s Uzhhorod city provided a bus and helped students to cross the border for evacuation. Sahu and two more students are from Mahasamund while the remaining three are from Raipur, Durg and Korea districts.
According to officials, over 100 people from Chhattisgarh, including around 80 students, are stranded in Ukraine currently.
The first evacuation flight carrying 219 Indian students had reached Mumbai from Bucharest on February 26 evening.
The Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civil aircraft operations since February 24 morning when the Russian military offensive began. Therefore, the Indian evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest (Romania) and Budapest (Hungary).
Last updated on 28 Feb 2022
