<p>In what can be called a sigh of relief, around 183 Indian citizens, who were stranded in Ukraine, have reached Delhi on Sunday in a special flight. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Saturday, the flight had departed from Hungary's capital Budapest under ‘Operation Ganga’. It landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The passengers were received by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. He also had a discussion with the students. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-pitches-with-france-to-become-rafale-maintenance-hub-459373" hreflang="en">India pitches with France to become Rafale maintenance hub</a></strong></p>

<p>After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, tensions have risen in the region. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Ukraine crisis, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary of India Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other top officials attended the meeting. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Under Operation Ganga, over 13,300 people have returned to India so far from war-torn Ukraine, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ukrainian-woman-married-in-kashmir-appeals-to-indian-pm-modi-to-ask-russia-to-end-violence-459335" hreflang="en">Ukrainian woman married in Kashmir appeals to Indian PM Modi to ask Russia to end violence</a></strong></p>

<p>Almost all Indians have left Kharkiv city in Ukraine, said the ministry. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Now, the main focus of the government is to evacuate citizens from the Sumy area. It is challenging due to the ongoing violence and lack of transportation. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>'Special envoys' have been deployed by the government to five neighbouring countries, who share a border with Ukraine, to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


In what can be called a sigh of relief, around 183 Indian citizens, who were stranded in Ukraine, have reached Delhi on Sunday in a special flight. On Saturday, the flight had departed from Hungary's capital Budapest under ‘Operation Ganga’.

In what can be called a sigh of relief, around 183 Indian citizens, who were stranded in Ukraine, have reached Delhi on Sunday in a special flight. On Saturday, the flight had departed from Hungary's capital Budapest under ‘Operation Ganga’. It landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The passengers were received by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. He also had a discussion with the students. Also Read: India pitches with France to become Rafale maintenance hub After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, tensions have risen in the region. On Ukraine crisis, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday. Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary of India Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other top officials attended the meeting. Under Operation Ganga, over 13,300 people have returned to India so far from war-torn Ukraine, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday. Also Read: Ukrainian woman married in Kashmir appeals to Indian PM Modi to ask Russia to end violence Almost all Indians have left Kharkiv city in Ukraine, said the ministry. Now, the main focus of the government is to evacuate citizens from the Sumy area. It is challenging due to the ongoing violence and lack of transportation. 'Special envoys' have been deployed by the government to five neighbouring countries, who share a border with Ukraine, to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals. (With inputs from agencies)

Sigh of relief: 183 Indian citizens reach Delhi in special flight under Operation Ganga

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded 'people's participation'&nbsp;in the Swacch Bharat Mission for the use of cloth bags instead of polythene in various cities of the country and said that the collective efforts strengthen the spirit of people's participation in the country.</p>

<p>Addressing the 86th edition of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, "I came across an inspirational effort in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. The youth here are running a campaign 'Mission beat plastic'&nbsp;in Ranthambore. Plastic and polythenes have been removed from the forests of Ranthambore. Such collective efforts strengthen the spirit of people's participation in the country and when there is people's participation, we can accomplish the most challenging goals."</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ukrainian-president-dials-indian-pm-modi-seeks-political-support-in-un-security-council-456824">Ukrainian president dials Indian PM Modi, seeks political support in UN Security Council</a></strong></p>

<p>Lauding the efforts of the local people of Visakhapatnam against the single-use plastic with an aim to keep the environment clean as part of the cleanliness drive, PM Modi said that cloth bags are being promoted over the polythene bags in the city.</p>

<p>"In Visakhapatnam, under Swacch Bharat Mission, cloth bags are being promoted over polythene bags. Locals are also running a campaign against single-use plastic to keep the environment clean. They are also creating awareness about segregating waste at home," he said.</p>

<p>"Students of Mumbai's Somaiya College have also made beautification a part of their cleanliness drive. They decorated the wall of Kalyan Railway station with beautiful paintings," PM Modi added.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/prime-minister-narendra-modi-in-indonesia-140913">Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indonesia</a></strong></p>

<p>The Prime Minister also mentioned the 'Jal Thal'&nbsp;Mission in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar and said that the youth were made 'water ambassadors'&nbsp;to spread awareness about the restoration projects.</p>

<p>"Many transformational changes have been driven by people's movement in the society. Mission 'Jal Thal'&nbsp;is one such drive in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar. This is an innovative effort to clean and restore Srinagar's lakes and water bodies. Mission Jal Thal focused on Kaushal Sar and Gil Sar. Along with the people's participation, technology is also being used," he said.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Indian PM Modi addresses 86th edition of monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat'</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-pm-modi-addresses-86th-edition-of-monthly-radio-programme-mann-ki-baat-457005/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"A campaign is also underway to remove the plastic waste and clean garbage. In the second phase of the mission, old water channels and 19 springs that feed lakes were targeted for restoration. To spread awareness about the restoration project, locals including youth were made 'water ambassadors'. Now the local people are happy to see an increasing number of migratory birds," PM Modi added.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded 'people's participation' in the Swacch Bharat Mission for the use of cloth bags instead of polythene in various cities of the country and said that the collective efforts strengthen the spirit of people's participation in the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded 'people's participation' in the Swacch Bharat Mission for the use of cloth bags instead of polythene in various cities of the country and said that the collective efforts strengthen the spirit of people's participation in the country. Addressing the 86th edition of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, "I came across an inspirational effort in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan. The youth here are running a campaign 'Mission beat plastic' in Ranthambore. Plastic and polythenes have been removed from the forests of Ranthambore. Such collective efforts strengthen the spirit of people's participation in the country and when there is people's participation, we can accomplish the most challenging goals." Also read | Ukrainian president dials Indian PM Modi, seeks political support in UN Security Council Lauding the efforts of the local people of Visakhapatnam against the single-use plastic with an aim to keep the environment clean as part of the cleanliness drive, PM Modi said that cloth bags are being promoted over the polythene bags in the city. "In Visakhapatnam, under Swacch Bharat Mission, cloth bags are being promoted over polythene bags. Locals are also running a campaign against single-use plastic to keep the environment clean. They are also creating awareness about segregating waste at home," he said. "Students of Mumbai's Somaiya College have also made beautification a part of their cleanliness drive. They decorated the wall of Kalyan Railway station with beautiful paintings," PM Modi added. Also read | Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indonesia The Prime Minister also mentioned the 'Jal Thal' Mission in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar and said that the youth were made 'water ambassadors' to spread awareness about the restoration projects. "Many transformational changes have been driven by people's movement in the society. Mission 'Jal Thal' is one such drive in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar. This is an innovative effort to clean and restore Srinagar's lakes and water bodies. Mission Jal Thal focused on Kaushal Sar and Gil Sar. Along with the people's participation, technology is also being used," he said. Watch | Indian PM Modi addresses 86th edition of monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' "A campaign is also underway to remove the plastic waste and clean garbage. In the second phase of the mission, old water channels and 19 springs that feed lakes were targeted for restoration. To spread awareness about the restoration project, locals including youth were made 'water ambassadors'. Now the local people are happy to see an increasing number of migratory birds," PM Modi added.

Indian PM Modi lauds 'people's participation' in strengthening Swacch Bharat Mission

<p>Personally monitored by the external affairs minister, coordinated through a ‘situation room’, using transport on air and on land, India is leaving no stones unturned to help evacuate thousands of its citizens caught in the crossfire of the Ukraine-Russia war.</p>

<p>Spearheaded by the Ministry of External Affairs and joined by embassies across the region, the government is continuously updating citizens with travel advisories over social media and has begun airlifting the expatriates.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ukraine-conflict-india-abstains-on-unsc-resolution-says-dialogue-only-answer-to-settle-disputes-456638">Ukraine conflict: India abstains on UNSC resolution, says dialogue 'only answer' to settle disputes</a></strong></p>

<p>Over the years, India’s civilian leadership, military and the aviation sector have worked hand in hand to evacuate thousands of Indians stranded in conflict areas. That template has come in handy in Ukraine too, where the attack by Russia entered the third day on Saturday.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">More batches of Indian students enter Hungary from Ukrainian side at Zahony crossing, travelling onward to Budapest for return to India by AI flight today <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MEAIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainUkraine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainUkraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IndianDiplomacy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndianDiplomacy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DDNewslive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DDNewslive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/airindiain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@airindiain</a> <a href="https://t.co/XleEiGwbyH">pic.twitter.com/XleEiGwbyH</a></p>
— Indian Embassy in Hungary (@IndiaInHungary) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaInHungary/status/1497534668589211649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>MEA has opened a control room, and is overseeing the evacuation process along with its embassy in Kyiv, and camp offices in Ukrainian cities of Luiv and Chernivsti. Joining the efforts are its teams in Poland: in the Shehyni-Medyca and Krakowiec border crossings. Similar teams are working round the clock in border crossings of Hungary, Romania and Slovak Republic. Indians can contact helplines in all these offices.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Updated Coordinates of MEA Teams assisting Indian nationals in Ukraine ⬇️<a href="https://t.co/yBtn5qtFux">https://t.co/yBtn5qtFux</a> <a href="https://t.co/hXn1pPO4D9">pic.twitter.com/hXn1pPO4D9</a></p>
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1497229518431424516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>External affairs minister S Jaishankar tweeted: “Regarding evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, we are making progress. Our teams are working on the ground round the clock. I am personally monitoring. The first flight to Mumbai with 219 Indian nationals has taken off from Romania.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Regarding evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, we are making progress.<br />
<br />
Our teams are working on the ground round the clock. I am personally monitoring.<br />
<br />
The first flight to Mumbai with 219 Indian nationals has taken off from Romania. <a href="https://t.co/8BSwefW0Q1">pic.twitter.com/8BSwefW0Q1</a></p>
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1497491336597229571?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier on Saturday, several of them boarded a government-hired Air India flight from Romania to Mumbai. Another flight will take passengers to Delhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ukraine-crisis-romanias-govt-to-provide-evacuated-indian-students-with-food-accommodation-says-envoy-456604">Ukraine crisis: Romania's govt to provide evacuated Indian students with food, accommodation, says envoy</a></strong></p>

<p><img alt="Indian citizens sitting in aircraft tp fly back to India. (Image Courtesy: Govt. of India)" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1268cc13-e8b0-4d2a-aad3-b4b7810ca298" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/air%20flight.jpg" /></p>

<h5><em>Indian citizens sitting in aircraft to fly back to India. (Image Courtesy: Govt. of India)</em></h5>

<p>India's trade minister Piyush Goyal&nbsp;received the evacuated nationals in Mumbai.</p>

<p>Air India had said earlier in a release that it will be operating flights on B787 aircraft from Delhi and Mumbai to Bucharest in Romania and Budapest in Hungary on Saturday, 26 February as special government charter flights to fly back stranded Indian citizens.</p>

<p>Earlier, the government had said it would bear the cost of evacuations.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Ukraine "deeply dissatisfied" with India's reaction</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-ukraine-deeply-dissatisfied-with-indias-reaction-456600/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>In a travel advisory, the government said Indian nationals coming in from Ukraine who are not vaccinated and neither processing Covid-19 negative RT PCR report will be exempted from uploading documents on Air Suvidha portal before departure. The decision was taken on humanitarian grounds, it said, adding that such passengers can enter the airport.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">All Indian Citizens in Ukraine are advised to not move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with Government of India officials at the border posts (helpline numbers established) and the Emergency numbers of Embassy of India, Kyiv. <a href="https://t.co/FVYjFUxh91">https://t.co/FVYjFUxh91</a></p>
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1497408184058740738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Personally monitored by the external affairs minister, coordinated through a ‘situation room’, using transport on air and on land, India is leaving no stones unturned to help evacuate thousands of its citizens caught in the crossfire of the Ukraine-Russia war.

Personally monitored by the external affairs minister, coordinated through a ‘situation room’, using transport on air and on land, India is leaving no stones unturned to help evacuate thousands of its citizens caught in the crossfire of the Ukraine-Russia war. Spearheaded by the Ministry of External Affairs and joined by embassies across the region, the government is continuously updating citizens with travel advisories over social media and has begun airlifting the expatriates. Also read | Ukraine conflict: India abstains on UNSC resolution, says dialogue 'only answer' to settle disputes Over the years, India’s civilian leadership, military and the aviation sector have worked hand in hand to evacuate thousands of Indians stranded in conflict areas. That template has come in handy in Ukraine too, where the attack by Russia entered the third day on Saturday. More batches of Indian students enter Hungary from Ukrainian side at Zahony crossing, travelling onward to Budapest for return to India by AI flight today @MEAIndia @IndiainUkraine @IndianDiplomacy @DDNewslive @airindiain pic.twitter.com/XleEiGwbyH — Indian Embassy in Hungary (@IndiaInHungary) February 26, 2022 × MEA has opened a control room, and is overseeing the evacuation process along with its embassy in Kyiv, and camp offices in Ukrainian cities of Luiv and Chernivsti. Joining the efforts are its teams in Poland: in the Shehyni-Medyca and Krakowiec border crossings. Similar teams are working round the clock in border crossings of Hungary, Romania and Slovak Republic. Indians can contact helplines in all these offices. Updated Coordinates of MEA Teams assisting Indian nationals in Ukraine ⬇️https://t.co/yBtn5qtFux pic.twitter.com/hXn1pPO4D9 — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) February 25, 2022 × External affairs minister S Jaishankar tweeted: “Regarding evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, we are making progress. Our teams are working on the ground round the clock. I am personally monitoring. The first flight to Mumbai with 219 Indian nationals has taken off from Romania.” Regarding evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, we are making progress. Our teams are working on the ground round the clock. I am personally monitoring. The first flight to Mumbai with 219 Indian nationals has taken off from Romania. pic.twitter.com/8BSwefW0Q1 — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 26, 2022 × Earlier on Saturday, several of them boarded a government-hired Air India flight from Romania to Mumbai. Another flight will take passengers to Delhi. Also read | Ukraine crisis: Romania's govt to provide evacuated Indian students with food, accommodation, says envoy Indian citizens sitting in aircraft to fly back to India. (Image Courtesy: Govt. of India) India's trade minister Piyush Goyal received the evacuated nationals in Mumbai. Air India had said earlier in a release that it will be operating flights on B787 aircraft from Delhi and Mumbai to Bucharest in Romania and Budapest in Hungary on Saturday, 26 February as special government charter flights to fly back stranded Indian citizens. Earlier, the government had said it would bear the cost of evacuations. Watch | Gravitas: Ukraine "deeply dissatisfied" with India's reaction In a travel advisory, the government said Indian nationals coming in from Ukraine who are not vaccinated and neither processing Covid-19 negative RT PCR report will be exempted from uploading documents on Air Suvidha portal before departure. The decision was taken on humanitarian grounds, it said, adding that such passengers can enter the airport. All Indian Citizens in Ukraine are advised to not move to any of the border posts without prior coordination with Government of India officials at the border posts (helpline numbers established) and the Emergency numbers of Embassy of India, Kyiv. https://t.co/FVYjFUxh91 — Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) February 26, 2022 ×

Nick of time: India embarks on mammoth task of evacuating citizens from war-hit Ukraine

<p>India's consul general in Dubai Vipul has said that the ongoing repatriation is going "very well and smoothly" as many flights from the city land in India. Speaking exclusively&nbsp;to our diplomatic&nbsp;correspondent <strong>Sidhant Sibal</strong> from Dubai, Vipul lauded the UAE authorities saying that have been "very helpful and cooperative." 250,000 Indians in UAE have registered for repatriation, the maximum anywhere in the world with a large number of flights originating from Dubai making the task much more complex&nbsp;in the West Asian country which hosts maximum numbers of Indians anywhere in the world.</p>

<p><strong>WION: How has the repatriation going on?</strong></p>

<p><strong>Vipul:</strong> Well, the repatriation has gone on very well. So far we have sent 4 flights from Dubai, one to Calicut, two to Chennai, one to Lucknow and all the flights have been very orderly. The Dubai authorities&nbsp;along with Air India have done exceedingly well, in terms of&nbsp;ensuring a very smooth flow of passengers. Of course, all the passengers are very relieved&nbsp;to go back home now, because&nbsp;many have been stranded here for some time and we got number of passengers&nbsp;who were pregnant&nbsp;ladies, number of workers who would have lost jobs or had completed&nbsp;the assignments here. A lot of elderly people and medical cases and these are the 4 categories we have concentrated the most on in the initial phase. Then there are students and visitors who were stranded. But overall&nbsp;it&nbsp;has gone very nicely and very smoothly.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WION: How has it been for our people and diplomats like you who have been on the ground facilitating the process. It is risky being out due to COVID.</strong></p>

<p><strong>Vipul: </strong>It is correct and there are jobs we have to do, and people at the airport have to do. In that, there is no choice and we are taking all the precautions. We taking all care that we are not going too near to the passengers. And at the same time, we have to be at the location so that it is an orderly flow. And sometimes especially here in Dubai, people get deboarded at the last minute&nbsp;because they have not done some formality or other. In some cases, people haven't turned up despite buying the ticket. And then you have to make sure seats don't&nbsp;go vacant, therefore&nbsp;we have had passengers in the waiting list and you have to arrange for that, so overall yes it there is some risk we are taking all precautions and hopefully, everything will go all well. The other thing with which we are facing difficulty or challenge is a huge number of Indian population is here in UAE, we 3.4 million and of course lot of people want to go to India right now and that has been a tough job. We have done that at random, and then also, we have taken people who have written to us or have approached us and who are really in a compelling circumstance were they have to go back to India.</p>

<p><strong>WION: Any exact figure on the number of people who are expected to come back?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Vipul:</strong> It is a bit difficult to give an exact number. &nbsp;Six flights are slated to go from Dubai in next 4 days. And then for the 2nd phase as yet we don't have instructions from Delhi and information as to how many fights there would be. In terms of a number of people, it is large, there are also people who have gone into our database and filled up the details but not ready to go immediately. So it is a bit difficult to give the exact number. Of course, it is very large, on the portal, more than 250,000 people have registered so far but when we are calling people, they are not ready to go right now, so it is a bit difficult to give the exact number of people who will go in next few weeks.</p>

<p><strong>WION: How have the UAE authorities helping out?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Vipul: </strong>They have been very very helpful. The UAE authorities are doing the test for all Indians and for all other stranded nationalities as well who are repatriating people. They have put in lot of staff that maintain order and make sure social distancing norms are maintained at the airport. Dubai police, Dubai health authorities and other agencies, they have been working together with us, ministry foreign affairs, everyone has been working together to make sure its a smooth operation and people do not face any difficulty. In any case, the large Indian population in UAE and number of COVID cases are also Indians and local authorities are taking care and doing the best to manage the situation. Authorities have been very helpful and cooperative.&nbsp;</p>


India's consul general in Dubai Vipul has said that the ongoing repatriation is going "very well and smoothly" as many flights from the city land in India. Speaking exclusively to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Dubai, Vipul lauded the UAE authorities saying that have been "very helpful and cooperative.

India's consul general in Dubai Vipul has said that the ongoing repatriation is going "very well and smoothly" as many flights from the city land in India. Speaking exclusively to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal from Dubai, Vipul lauded the UAE authorities saying that have been "very helpful and cooperative." 250,000 Indians in UAE have registered for repatriation, the maximum anywhere in the world with a large number of flights originating from Dubai making the task much more complex in the West Asian country which hosts maximum numbers of Indians anywhere in the world. WION: How has the repatriation going on? Vipul: Well, the repatriation has gone on very well. So far we have sent 4 flights from Dubai, one to Calicut, two to Chennai, one to Lucknow and all the flights have been very orderly. The Dubai authorities along with Air India have done exceedingly well, in terms of ensuring a very smooth flow of passengers. Of course, all the passengers are very relieved to go back home now, because many have been stranded here for some time and we got number of passengers who were pregnant ladies, number of workers who would have lost jobs or had completed the assignments here. A lot of elderly people and medical cases and these are the 4 categories we have concentrated the most on in the initial phase. Then there are students and visitors who were stranded. But overall it has gone very nicely and very smoothly. WION: How has it been for our people and diplomats like you who have been on the ground facilitating the process. It is risky being out due to COVID. Vipul: It is correct and there are jobs we have to do, and people at the airport have to do. In that, there is no choice and we are taking all the precautions. We taking all care that we are not going too near to the passengers. And at the same time, we have to be at the location so that it is an orderly flow. And sometimes especially here in Dubai, people get deboarded at the last minute because they have not done some formality or other. In some cases, people haven't turned up despite buying the ticket. And then you have to make sure seats don't go vacant, therefore we have had passengers in the waiting list and you have to arrange for that, so overall yes it there is some risk we are taking all precautions and hopefully, everything will go all well. The other thing with which we are facing difficulty or challenge is a huge number of Indian population is here in UAE, we 3.4 million and of course lot of people want to go to India right now and that has been a tough job. We have done that at random, and then also, we have taken people who have written to us or have approached us and who are really in a compelling circumstance were they have to go back to India. WION: Any exact figure on the number of people who are expected to come back? Vipul: It is a bit difficult to give an exact number. Six flights are slated to go from Dubai in next 4 days. And then for the 2nd phase as yet we don't have instructions from Delhi and information as to how many fights there would be. In terms of a number of people, it is large, there are also people who have gone into our database and filled up the details but not ready to go immediately. So it is a bit difficult to give the exact number. Of course, it is very large, on the portal, more than 250,000 people have registered so far but when we are calling people, they are not ready to go right now, so it is a bit difficult to give the exact number of people who will go in next few weeks. WION: How have the UAE authorities helping out? Vipul: They have been very very helpful. The UAE authorities are doing the test for all Indians and for all other stranded nationalities as well who are repatriating people. They have put in lot of staff that maintain order and make sure social distancing norms are maintained at the airport. Dubai police, Dubai health authorities and other agencies, they have been working together with us, ministry foreign affairs, everyone has been working together to make sure its a smooth operation and people do not face any difficulty. In any case, the large Indian population in UAE and number of COVID cases are also Indians and local authorities are taking care and doing the best to manage the situation. Authorities have been very helpful and cooperative.

India's consul general in Dubai Vipul lauds UAE authorities as India repatriates stranded citizens

On Monday, India decided to ban arrivals from European countries, the UK and Turkey. The decision also affects the Indian citizens in these countries. How does the government plan to help them? Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Wuhan Coronavirus: Why India banned arrivals from Europe

<p>The diverse and the motley crowd protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have no idea what these terminologies are all about and their bizarre explanation ranges from "freeing Lalu Yadav from Jail" and terming CAA/NRC a "machine which produces Indian citizens".</p>

<p>The protesters rallying at the "Bihar-Bandh" call given by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) against the new law and proposed NRC, also said that the protest is against the rape of girls, and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.</p>

<p>The crowd also consisted of children who were only sloganeering but drew a blank when asked what CAA and NRC are all about. However, when asked again, they started derogatory words on the top of their voices.</p>

<p>"We are protesting because Mahatma Gandhi was murdered. Godse (Nathuram Godse) murdered him. This government supports those who murdered Mahatma Gandhi," said a protester.</p>

<p>Another group of protesters said that they are protesting to free RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav from Jail and to install RJD government in the state.</p>

<p>"We are protesting because we want Lalu Prasad out of the Jail. We want RJD government to rule the state," said one among them.</p>

<p>While another protester who claims to be an RJD leader said he is protesting because girls are being raped and are set ablaze in Bihar.</p>

<p>"I am protesting because my supporters have garlanded me with 'Mala'. I am protesting because girls are being raped, women are being raped and are set ablaze in Bihar," said Nand Kishore Mandal who claims that he is a local RJD leader.</p>

<p>However, the most bizarre argument is of a person who said that CAA/NRC is a kind of machine that gives citizenship.</p>

<p>"CAA/NRC is the machine. These machines produce Indian citizens, they give citizenship," he said.</p>

<p>The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.</p>


The diverse and the motley crowd protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have no idea what these terminologies are all about and their bizarre explanation ranges from "freeing Lalu Yadav from Jail" and terming CAA/NRC a "machine which produces Indian citizens".

The diverse and the motley crowd protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have no idea what these terminologies are all about and their bizarre explanation ranges from "freeing Lalu Yadav from Jail" and terming CAA/NRC a "machine which produces Indian citizens". The protesters rallying at the "Bihar-Bandh" call given by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) against the new law and proposed NRC, also said that the protest is against the rape of girls, and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The crowd also consisted of children who were only sloganeering but drew a blank when asked what CAA and NRC are all about. However, when asked again, they started derogatory words on the top of their voices. "We are protesting because Mahatma Gandhi was murdered. Godse (Nathuram Godse) murdered him. This government supports those who murdered Mahatma Gandhi," said a protester. Another group of protesters said that they are protesting to free RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav from Jail and to install RJD government in the state. "We are protesting because we want Lalu Prasad out of the Jail. We want RJD government to rule the state," said one among them. While another protester who claims to be an RJD leader said he is protesting because girls are being raped and are set ablaze in Bihar. "I am protesting because my supporters have garlanded me with 'Mala'. I am protesting because girls are being raped, women are being raped and are set ablaze in Bihar," said Nand Kishore Mandal who claims that he is a local RJD leader. However, the most bizarre argument is of a person who said that CAA/NRC is a kind of machine that gives citizenship. "CAA/NRC is the machine. These machines produce Indian citizens, they give citizenship," he said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Bizarre explanation: Protesters call Citizenship (Amendment) Act a machine which produces Indian citizens

The first of the two Indian Air Force C-17s evacuating Indian citizens from war-torn South Sudan landed in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala early this morning. There were 156 people on board, including nine women and children, and two Nepalese citizens.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The plane deboarded a number of evacuees at Thiruvananthapuram, and then continued on to Delhi.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The evacuation -- called Sankat Mochan or &quot;rescue from danger&quot; -- is being headed by India&#39;s minister of state for external affairs General (retd) VK Singh.<br />
<br />
A second C-17 is also expected. Both flights took off from Juba, the South Sudanese capital.&nbsp;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The flight from South Sudan has landed in Delhi. My colleague Shri Vijay Goyal is at the airport to receive them. /1</p>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/753819071536214016">July 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>
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<br />
In a tweet, Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said both aircraft will be flying to Delhi via Thiruvananthapuram.<br />
<br />
The official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs (MEA), Vikas Swarup, tweeted that the first aircraft is carrying 143 Indian citizens on board, including 10 women and three infants.<br />
<br />
The second aircraft, India&#39;s ambassador to South Sudan Srikumar Sen has reportedly said,&nbsp;is carrying the rest. There were some 600 Indian citizens in South Sudan when the conflict broke out, of which about 300 had registered for the evacuation.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The mass evacuation reportedly faced a hurdle. Some Indian citizens in South Sudan reportedly refused to leave the country, after having registered for the evacuation and despite Swaraj appealing to Indian citizens to leave the country. Swaraj had also tweeted that should the situation deteriorate, the government would not be able to get them out.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
South Sudan&#39;s President Salva Kiir called a ceasefire on Monday after five days of intense fighting in Juba between troops loyal to him and those loyal to his deputy, vice president Riek Machar. The fighting, which broke out last Thursday, left more than a 150 dead and countless more injured.<br />
<br />
(ANI &amp; PTI)

The C-17 landed in Thiruvananthapuram, deboarded evacuees, and continued on to Delhi

The first of the two Indian Air Force C-17s evacuating Indian citizens from war-torn South Sudan landed in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala early this morning. There were 156 people on board, including nine women and children, and two Nepalese citizens. The plane deboarded a number of evacuees at Thiruvananthapuram, and then continued on to Delhi. The evacuation -- called Sankat Mochan or "rescue from danger" -- is being headed by India's minister of state for external affairs General (retd) VK Singh. A second C-17 is also expected. Both flights took off from Juba, the South Sudanese capital. The flight from South Sudan has landed in Delhi. My colleague Shri Vijay Goyal is at the airport to receive them. /1 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 15, 2016 In a tweet, Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said both aircraft will be flying to Delhi via Thiruvananthapuram. The official spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs (MEA), Vikas Swarup, tweeted that the first aircraft is carrying 143 Indian citizens on board, including 10 women and three infants. The second aircraft, India's ambassador to South Sudan Srikumar Sen has reportedly said, is carrying the rest. There were some 600 Indian citizens in South Sudan when the conflict broke out, of which about 300 had registered for the evacuation. The mass evacuation reportedly faced a hurdle. Some Indian citizens in South Sudan reportedly refused to leave the country, after having registered for the evacuation and despite Swaraj appealing to Indian citizens to leave the country. Swaraj had also tweeted that should the situation deteriorate, the government would not be able to get them out. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir called a ceasefire on Monday after five days of intense fighting in Juba between troops loyal to him and those loyal to his deputy, vice president Riek Machar. The fighting, which broke out last Thursday, left more than a 150 dead and countless more injured. (ANI & PTI)

First rescue flight from South Sudan lands with 156 on board

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