Operation Ganga: Jyotiraditya Scindia met officials in Romania, also talked to students waiting to return home

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Sandhiya has reached Romania. Four special envoys have been appointed by the Government of India for the implementation of the evacuation operation from Ukraine, one of which is Jyotiraditya Scindia. After reaching Bucharest, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with officials at the airport itself on the evacuation process of Indian nationals from Ukraine in Romania. Also talked to the Indian students present at the airport waiting for their turn.

In this sequence, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has reached Romania and Moldova, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju Slovakia, Hardeep Singh Puri Hungary, and Minister of State for Civil Aviation General VK Singh have reached Poland. With their going there, better coordination is likely to be established in the work of bringing Indian students home. Indians are being driven out of Ukraine through these five countries. But transporting students from remote areas of Ukraine to the borders of Poland, Hungary, and Romania is still the biggest challenge.

218 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine were brought back to their homeland on Tuesday night via Romania by special aircraft. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav was present to welcome them at the Delhi airport. The Union Minister also spoke to the students who came back to India.

Speaking to ANI, Vaishnav said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making strenuous efforts for Operation Ganga, which is being run for the return of students from Ukraine. The students also expressed confidence in the efforts of the Government of India. Let us tell you that due to the ongoing Russian attacks in Ukraine, the airspace there is closed and therefore people have to come by road to the neighboring countries of the Eastern European country such as Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to return to the country. After this, there is a return to India through flights sent under Operation Ganga. According to official figures, about 18,000 Indian students are studying in various universities in Ukraine.

On 24 February Russia launched military action in Ukraine and on 26 February the Indian government launched Operation Ganga Mission to evacuate its civilians from there, under which 219 civilians reached Mumbai in the first flight. Let us tell you that under this operation, the Government of India has operated all the airlines free of cost. As part of this evacuation operation, 24x7 control centers have been set up at border crossing points in Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. Under this, a new route is also being opened which will be through Moldova.