'At present there might be at least 500 Indians stuck in Iran for various reasons and we have no idea when they will come back.'
All Indian nationals, who were stranded in Simikot and Hilsa of Humla district in far-west Nepal, safely returned to Kathmandu on Wednesday.
The government is organising evacuation flights for Indians in Ukraine, the sources said, adding that the cost will be completely borne by the government.
As many as 31 evacuation flights will be operated to neighbouring countries of crisis-hit Ukraine and will bring back more than 6,300 Indians stranded in the eastern European nation, according to official sources.
Viswanathan Anand was in Germany to play in the Bundesliga chess and before he could return, the travel restrictions came calling in wake of the pandemic.
Jesuralem is one of the international destinations for Christians in Meghalaya for its religious importance.
"Not only this, but we also helped the citizens of our neighbouring countries to return to their country when the COVID-19 pandemic had struck, irrespective of caste, religion, class, area etc," said minister of state for defence Ajay Bhatt.
A government statement said Modi conveyed to Putin that India attaches the highest priority to the safe exit of Indians from Ukraine and their return to India.
The Indian government on Wednesday said it was focusing on bringing back Indians stranded in coronavirus-hit Italy and Iran after screening them.
In a video address, Putin on Thursday said, "The fact that we are fighting neo-Nazis is proved by how the hostilities are going, nationalist neo-Nazi's units are using foreign mercenaries from the Middle East. Also, they use civilians as human shields, hiding behind their backs and we have facts, pictures of how they deploy heavy weapons in residential areas."
The first attempt to evacuate students on March 7 failed, despite ceasefire and planning.
India on Saturday 'strongly pressed' the Russian and Ukrainian governments through multiple channels for an immediate ceasefire in Sumy to ensure a safe passage for around 700 Indian students stuck there as it keeps focus on their evacuation from the war-hit city in eastern Ukraine.
The home ministry said only asymptomatic people would be allowed to travel and it would be arranged by aircraft and naval ships, and the facility will be available on a payment basis.
A 73-year-old Australian, who is stranded in India since March last year, has filed a lawsuit before a Sydney court against the federal government for banning flights from India and threatening to prosecute those attempting to enter the country with the possibility of a jail term and a penalty, saying the move is "unconstitutional".
Briefing reporters on the ongoing evacuation mission 'Operation Kaveri', Kwatra said approximately 1,700 to 2,000 Indian nationals were moved out of the conflict zones and they included the citizens already evacuated out of Sudan as well as those who are on their way to Port Sudan from capital city Khartoum.
India on Monday launched 'Operation Kaveri' to evacuate its nationals from violence-hit Sudan.
'The West has always opposed a strong nationalist leader in India and Narendra Modi is no exception.' 'The West prefers weak leaders who are amenable to Western pressure and Mr Modi's independent stance is not to the liking of the West,' asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Unable to resume their journey to Europe and then home to Japan and unwilling to head to the African mainland, where virus cases are spiking, they had to trade their skills with domestic businesses to earn funds in the absence of work visas.
The Indian Air Force is expected to fly an IL-76 aircraft, which can ferry 300 people, to Libya on Thursday to evacuate Indian citizens stranded there. "An IL-76 is at the Palam airport and is expected to fly out to Cairo on Thursday morning on its way to Libya," IAF officials said. However, the destination of the aircraft is not being disclosed keeping in mind the safety of the evacuees, they added.
France has evacuated some Indians along with citizens of 27 other countries as part of its evacuation mission from violence-hit Sudan.
Officials said more Indians in small groups are expected to reach Romania through the border crossing.
Those who are returning will not be paying any fare and the government is bearing the cost of their return.
The government on Wednesday said it was looking into all options for the safe evacuation of stranded Indians from strife-torn Iraq. "We are looking into all options. All suggestions are on the table," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.
Indian evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest and Budapest. The government is not charging the rescued citizens for the evacuation flights.
In a message to the Indians in Ukraine, Partha Satpathy said the situation is 'highly tense and very uncertain' and it is causing a lot of anxiety.
Flight AI173 from Delhi was diverted to Magadan in Russia on Tuesday owing to an engine glitch, the Tata Group-owned private carrier said in a statement last evening.
Under its evacuation mission 'Operation Kaveri ', India has set up a transit facility at Jeddah and all the Indians have been taken to the Saudi Arabian city after their evacuation from Sudan.
The safety and security of citizens is primary for the government, he said.
The Opposition party lashed out at the Modi government over the issue, saying the problem with most of ministers is that they are so eager to prove their loyalty to 'their master and be his voice' that they have forgotten that they are sworn to certain responsibilities.
Of the 20,000 Indians who were stranded in war-torn Ukraine, 6,000 have been brought back to the country so far and the Centre is making all efforts for the safe return of the remaining ones, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said on Wednesday.
The fresh batch of evacuees arrived in Bengaluru, a day after 365 people returned from the African country to Delhi.
Anxious relatives of several Indians stuck in Sudan following the fighting between the Army and paramilitary forces are eagerly waiting for information about their relatives and appealed to the government to evacuate them from the strife-torn African country as soon as possible.
However, the IAF will face difficulties for a month or two in getting spare parts for its defence equipment from Russia to India, he added.
Twenty-two British and French trekkers, stranded in high altitude Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir following heavy downpour, have been rescued by Indian Air Force personnel in the past two days.
A large number of foreign nationals including Dutch, Israelis and at least around 1,000 Canadians are still stranded in parts of Nepal, a week after the earthquake battered the Himalayan nation.
SpiceJet, Air India Express and IndiGo will operate special flights from Hungarian capital Budapest and Romania's Bucharest on Monday and Tuesday to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine due to the Russian military offensive.
'All Indian nationals including students are advised to leave Kyiv urgently today. Preferably by available trains or through any other means available,' the embassy said.
'When the Taliban took over there was a genuine fear that they will harm me, but right now that fear is not there.'
Information technology industry veteran T V Mohandas Pai has said the havoc caused in Bengaluru due to heavy rains was a result of multiple factors, including bad governance, high corruption and lack of urban reforms.
As per plans, the Indian Air Force may use its planes to fly out Indian nationals stranded in Iraq to safer places nearby such as Kuwait or the United Arab Emirates from where commercial airliners would ferry them back to India.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances