The first batch of Indian students evacuated from a besieged Ukraine was reportedly greeted with bouquets as well as by leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party who reiterated Narendra Modi’s commitment to rescue each one of their peers. The bouquets — a public relations exercise — were perhaps necessitated by the fear of brickbats because New Delhi has been slow to respond to the plight of Indians — approximately 13,000 as of Sunday — stranded in Ukraine. There have been reports of worried students spending nights in bomb shelters amidst shortages of food and basic amenities. Several of them have posted desperate pleas for help on social media. Worse, some of the students have complained that they are being prevented from crossing Ukraine’s border. Mercifully, Mr Modi’s government — did it misread Russia’s threat? — seems to have woken up from its slumber. It has now decided to send ministers to Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to facilitate a speedier transfer of Indian nationals through congested checkpoints. The contrast between the BJP’s initial leisurely pace on evacuation and its swiftness to milk the issue for electoral benefits is stark. In a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister stated that his government is working ‘tirelessly’ to get Indians home despite the shadow that has fallen between word and deed. The pledge reveals another peculiar trait. Mr Modi, who seldom misses an opportunity to preach citizens about their duties, is always eager to raise a frightful din when it comes to fulfilling his own responsibilities. New Delhi has conducted several such evacuations in the past — from Kuwait, Libya and so on — quietly and efficiently.

Mr Modi has also advised medical students not to travel to smaller nations to pursue their studies. The prime minister appears to be ignorant of the ground realities in this case too. Thousands of Indian students travel to Ukraine to pursue medicine so as to avoid intense competition and prohibitive costs that are the features of an education in medicine in India. By some estimates, the annual fee for medicine courses is one-third of that in private colleges in India. Additionally, Ukraine’s institutions offer greater international exposure and robust infrastructure. There is perhaps a case for Mr Modi addressing the existing challenges that prevent students from taking up medicine courses in Indian institutions before urging them not to head for greener pastures.