Indian Students Urge Govt To Help Them Return From Ukraine, 'Can't Afford Expensive Tickets'
The second batch of Indian students in Ukraine has been brought back to their home country on Thursday as an all-out war is underway there.
The Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) landed at the Delhi airport at around 7:45 am on Thursday carrying 182 students.
"A special flight of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) landed at Delhi Airport from Kyiv, at 7:45 am today, with 182 Indian citizens, including students," an official of Ukraine International Airlines in India told ANI.
This was the second repatriation flight from Ukraine to India.
On Tuesday night, an Air Idia Dreamliner B-787 flew from Kharkiv in Ukraine to New Delhi with 242 Indians onboard, mostly students pursuing MBBS.
With Russia officially announcing a military action, many parents in India are insisting on bringing back their children and relatives who are currently in Ukraine. Parents are in constant touch with Ukraine-based airlines and Air India for their safe return.
"We understand the concerns of the parents and our endeavour is to help and assist as many students studying there to come back home. There are four special evacuation flights that are scheduled in the next couple of days and we are working on more," Anju Wariah, GSA representative of the UIA in India told ANI.
Many parents have complained that the airfares have shot up exponentially, making them unaffordable.
"I have booked flight tickets worth Rs 60,000, but what will those parents do who can't afford such huge amount of money? The Government of India has sent several flights but how will we be able to book such an expensive air ticket. Till Monday, flight tickets costing Rs one lakh were being sold but after borrowing some extra money from my relatives, I booked the air ticket and called my child back to India, " a parent said.?
¡°Earlier a ticket which was sold for only Rs 25,000, now the same ticket is available for Rs 75,000. At the same time, prices of food and other household goods are skyrocketing in Ukraine, causing economic hardship to the Indian people living there,¡± AAP MP from Punjab, Bhagwant Mann alleged.
On Tuesday, a group of medical students had reached Delhi airport, taking Turkish Airlines from Kyiv to Istanbul and then to Qatar, and then from there to Delhi via Qatar Airways.
Monika, a resident of Chhattisgarh and a fifth-year MBBS student, first took a flight from Kyiv to Doha and then returned to Delhi. According to her, air tickets were quite expensive due to which she came to India taking other flights.
Meanwhile, the future repatriation of Indians are in jeopardy as the Ukrainian authorities on Thursday morning closed the country's airspace for civil aircraft operations.
An Air India plane had off for Ukraine on Thursday morning to bring back Indians, and the government is considering whether the plane should be called back or allowed to continue on its journey, officials said.
India launches helpline for citizens
With many Indian nationals still stuck in Ukraine, the central government has launched a 24-hour helpline to assist Indian students caught up in the ongoing war. A 24-hour control room has been set up in Delhi and the helpline numbers are +911123012113, +911123914104, +911123017905 and 1800118797.
The Indian Embassy in Kyiv also issued an advisory to Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine. It said that since the Ukrainian airspace was closed, the schedule of special flights has been cancelled.
It also said that alternate arrangements are being made and that information will be conveyed soon so that Indians could relocate to the western part of the country.
Additional helpline numbers for Indians stuck in Ukraine: +38 0997300428, +38 0997300483, +38 0933980327, +38 0635917881, +38 0935046170.
Indian students in Ukraine needing?assistance?can also send emails at this address: situationroom@mea.gov.in.
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