News Analysis India

Tag: Indians

  • India envoy meets Kenyan President over abduction of 2 Indians

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Monday described as “very disturbing” the circumstances surrounding the abduction of two Indians in Kenya and subsequent lack of information in the case.

    Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Namgya Khampa, met Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and requested him for expediting the investigation into the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

    A close aide of the Kenyan President last week claimed the two missing Indians, Mohammad Zaid Sami Kidwai and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, have been killed by the disbanded DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations) unit, according to a media report.

    It is learnt that the Kenyan government has not said anything officially on the report.

    NEW DELHI: India on Monday described as “very disturbing” the circumstances surrounding the abduction of two Indians in Kenya and subsequent lack of information in the case.

    Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Namgya Khampa, met Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto and requested him for expediting the investigation into the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

    A close aide of the Kenyan President last week claimed the two missing Indians, Mohammad Zaid Sami Kidwai and Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, have been killed by the disbanded DCI (Directorate of Criminal Investigations) unit, according to a media report.

    It is learnt that the Kenyan government has not said anything officially on the report.

  • Indian medical students desperate for return to China as visas not yet issued

    Express News Service

    Even as China has partially lifted a visa ban for Indians (which includes diplomats and those who have family in China) the one segment that is desperately waiting to get visas is the over 23,000 Indian students enrolled in universities across China.

    “It’s been two years since the ban and we haven’t been allowed to return to our University campus in China. Most of us are enrolled in medical schools there and we need to do our practicals offline. Many of us are now clinically depressed,’’ said a third-year student of medicine, Ankit.

    The students say that they have been in constant touch with the Chinese embassy in Delhi, but their queries don’t translate into anything and they do not have any firm answer on what lies ahead.

    However, China has permitted students from Pakistan, Thailand, Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka to return to the universities. This stand-offish attitude with Indian students is due to a diplomatic standoff that exists between India and China at present.

    External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, had communicated to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi when he had visited India earlier this year to facilitate Indian students who are stuck in India due to a lack of visas. No heed has been paid to that request yet. India too had in April cancelled tourist visas of China, citing the rising Covid chart for this move.

    However, tourists don’t get impacted by a visa ban, but students do as they have a lot at stake.

    “The Chinese embassy had sought a list of students willing to return to China to complete their degree, and even though most of us have given our names we have no clue on when it would be considered,’’ laments Ankit.

    Mental health issues have emerged among students who worry about not being able to repay student loans until they complete their study programme. Once completion of their degree, they have to clear Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) in order to intern in India and get a job.

    In India, there are students who have returned from Ukraine too whose fate is hanging in limbo. Combined with those who want to return to China, the problem has got compounded.

  • US woos rich Indians with EB-5 investor programme

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: The Invest In the USA (IIUSA) on Friday made a pitch to wealthier Indians to make use of the EB-5 investor program to invest in commercial enterprise in the USA, which also offers a quicker way to get citizenship in that country. Addressing the media ongoing series of EB-5 programme roadshows across India, Aaron Grau, Executive Director, IIUSA, said, “EB-5 programme affords foreign nationals and their spouses and unmarried children under age 21 the ability to obtain a US visa based upon a minimum investment in an economic development enterprise that creates or retains a specified number of jobs.

    The US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme requires that a foreign individual invests in a new commercial enterprise that is associated with government-approved regional centres based on proposals for promoting economic growth.”

    The EB-5 program requires $1 million for a standard — which is a non-Targeted Employment Area (TEA) investment — and $500,000 for a TEA investment by those seeking Green Card, or permanent residency status in the USA. According to the latest findings by IIUSA, the demand for EB-5 programme in India increased by 400 per cent between 2016 and 2019. Additionally, Indian nationals held the most number of EB-5 immigrant investor applications in the October-December and April-June quarters for the fiscal year 2019. 

    “The E-B5 programme is truly an economic development which will help in creating jobs for Indian workers,” Grau said. In March 2022, US President Joe Biden signed a law that includes EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Centre Programme and various imple­­­me­ntation effective dates for it, which will be in effect till September 30, 2027. 

    The programme is reviewed by the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). IIUSA in partnership with PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry is holding a series of EB-5 passport visa educational events in India for cohesive knowledge-building sessions about the US investment/EB-5 immigration process, project due diligence, and financial & tax planning in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru over May and June.

  • 15-20 Indians want to leave Ukraine, being provided all help: MEA

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: There are 15-20 Indians in war-hit Ukraine who want to leave and are being provided all help, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday, asserting that “Operation Ganga” is still on.

    At a media briefing here, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it is a war situation but “we will keep doing what we can to evacuate those who want to come”.

    “Till about three days ago, there were about 50 Indians who were there. Our assessment is that there are 15-20 people who want to leave that country, the others who are there do not want to leave right now. We are providing as much help as possible to them,” Bagchi said.

    Noting that over 22,500 Indians have been brought back from the east European country, he said there are people in isolated pockets and “this is an evolving situation”. “We are in contact with all the Indians who are there,” he added. The Indian embassy is providing as much help as possible to them, Bagchi said.

    Asked about the three Indians stranded in Ukraine’s southern region of Kherson, he said the focus is to evacuate them and any route could be taken. “Many people have said ‘Operation Ganga’ has come to an end. It is not so. Those who want to be evacuated, we are helping them through our embassy operating from Warsaw (in Poland),” the MEA spokesperson said.

  • SC asks AG to help in evacuation of medical students stranded in Ukraine near Romania border

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Thursday asked Attorney General K K Venugopal to use his office in helping evacuate some Indian medical students stranded in war-ravaged Ukraine near the Romania border.

    A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana took note of the submissions of a lawyer that several students are stuck near the Romanian border in freezing cold and the government is not running flights from Romania.

    “Flights are being operated from Poland and Hungary and not from Romania. The students, which also included many girls, are stuck without any facility,” the lawyer told the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli.

    “We have all sympathies with them. But what can the court do,” the bench said. It, however, asked the top law officer to consider extending help to the stranded students.

    As per reports from Kyiv, Russia has stepped up its attack on Ukraine.

  • Ukraine crisis: 31 evacuation flights to bring back over 6,300 Indians in coming days

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: 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.

    Under ‘Operation Ganga’, the flights will be operated by Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Indian Air Force.

    From March 2, 21 evacuation flights will be operated to bring back Indians from Bucharest in Romania, while 4 will be from Budapest in Hungary, the sources said.

    Further, 4 flights will be operated to bring back people from Rzeszow in Poland and 1 flight from Kocise in Slovakia.

    Indian Air Force will be bringing back Indians from Bucharest. Together, the planned 31 flights – from March 2 till March 8 – will be coming back with more than 6,300 people.

    The sources on Wednesday said Air India Express and SpiceJet planes have a capacity for around 180 people while Air India and IndiGo can carry up to 250 and 216 passengers, respectively.

    While Air India Express will be operating a total of 7 flights, SpiceJet will press 4 flights into service. Air India will operate 7 flights and IndiGo will fly back people in 12 flights.

    Air India Express and Air India will be flying in people from Bucharest while IndiGo has planned 4 flights each from Bucharest, Budapest and Rzeszow.

    SpiceJet will operate 2 flights from Bucharest, 1 from Budapest and 1 from Kocise in Slovakia.

    The sources said 9 evacuation flights have brought back Indians stranded in Ukraine since February 26, and around 5-6 flights are “underway”.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that six flights under ‘Operation Ganga’ have departed for India in the last 24 hours.

    “#OperationGanga developments. Six flights have now departed for India in the last 24 hours. Includes the first flights from Poland. Carried back 1,377 more Indian nationals from Ukraine,” he said in a tweet this morning.

    On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that around 2,000 Indians have returned to their homeland, while 4,000-5,000 are getting ready to be brought back by flights.

    Amid the Russian offensive against Ukraine, India started the evacuation of around 14,000 of its stranded citizens in the Eastern European country on February 26.

  • Some students incommunicable in Ukraine

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The students stuck in Ukraine have claimed that many of their friends from different universities have gone ‘missing’ and they have been unable to contact them. Some families back in India have also lost touch with their children pursuing MBBS in Ukraine. 

    Ashita Bhardwaj, a student of Donestk National Medical University, is missing since two days. According to her elder sister, who is a teacher by profession in Delhi, Ashita could not be contacted, nor did she get in touch with her family.

    A student hugs her family member on herarrival at Birsa Munda InternationalAirport in Ranch on Tuesday“She was trying to reach the Poland border but we have not been able to track her,” the elder sister added. According to Sahil Lathwal, a student at Kharkiv National Medical University, several students from his university have gone missing and their college WhatsApp group is regularly being updated with the updates of these persons. 

    “Prem Singh, a sixth-year MBBS student (named changed) from Haryana, who was studying at our university, has gone missing and his phone is unreachable for the last two days. We are calling him non-stop but the network is also bad here,” said Sahil from Kharkiv. 

    Another student from Vinnytsia National Pirogov Medical University called Abdul (name changed) is also untraceable for the last two days. His friends were unable to contact him as his phone did not work. “We have posted his details on various social media platforms and are asking for his whereabouts. Hope we find him soon,” said his friend Saurav (name changed) studying in the same university. Abdul was on his way towards Poland border and couldn’t be tracked later. 

    According to Sandeep Kaur, a student who was able to cross the Poland border and is now waiting to fly back to India, many students headed for the Ukraine-Poland border lost their phones on the way and the border security forces snatched the phones of some of these students. 

    Short takes

    350 from Bihar still in UkrainePatna: A total of 350 students from Bihar are still stranded in Ukraine, leaving their family members high and dry. The highest 64 students stuck in Ukraine were from East Champaran district. Patna has 38 students followed by Katihar, 19, Purnia, 17 and Sitamarhi, 15, respectively. The remaining were from districts like Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Siwan and Nawada. In all, 83 students returned homes safely in three days.

    MP, Polish envoy exchange barbsNew Delhi: A war of words ensued between Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi and Poland’s Ambassador to India over a tweet stating denial of entry of Indian students from war-hit Ukraine. On Monday, Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted tagging the Indian Embassy in Poland over the issue, which was swiftly replied refuting the stated claim. The Polish envoy also tweeted about the efforts made by the Polish government.

    Cong wants parl meet convenedNew Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday demanded that the government convene an all-party meeting on Ukraine to appraise the parliamentarians about the situation. “At such a crucial time in history, PM Modi should convene an all-party parliamentary meeting on the war. Such a dialogue will help the government take the best possible step forward,” said Gaurav Gogoi, party deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.

    90% of students abroad fail to qualify in India: MinisterNew Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi claimed 90 per cent of Indians, who study medicine abroad, fail to qualify in exams in India. His remarks came as one medical student died in Ukraine on Tuesday, while thousands are stranded even as the government tries to evacuate them. The union minister said, “This was not the time to debate over the matter of why students went abroad to study medicine.”

  • Forces at border used stun guns, batons and fired in the air: Student

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Walked nearly 50 kilometres in the cold for four days – sometimes alone, hungry and almost on the verge of collapse. Nineteen-year-old Asha (name changed), a second-year medical student in Ukraine, finally had a good night’s sleep at a hotel in Poland on Monday. 

    Terrified after her harrowing time at the border where she was among the hundreds of Indian students, who were beaten, tortured, and harassed, she finally heaved a sigh of relief when she was reunited with friends she had separated from while walking towards the Ukraine-Poland border at the hotel arranged by the Indian Embassy in Poland in cooperation with Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

    “I started walking with my friends on February 25 morning. Last night, we had reached this hotel (in Poland). We were constantly walking in the minus five degree temperature with luggage. We had carried food and water with our us,” she told this newspaper over the phone about her journey after Russia attacked Ukraine. She is now staying with over 400 Indian students at the Hotel Prezydenckie in Poland and is waiting for flights back home tonight.

    Sharing her experience at the Ukraine-Poland border where Indians were beaten up, she said, “We were stopped at the border for close to eight hours without reason. The Ukrainian army suddenly turned violent. They started beating up people, especially Indians.” “They used batons, stun guns, and even fired in the air. It was a terrifying sight which I will never forget,” she said. Her other friends, who also requested not to be identified, and were injured at the border, agreed that the memory would permanently be etched in their minds. 

    Nehal Singh from Ahmedabad, a third-year student from the same college, said he is happy to be alive and doesn’t want to remember the horror they witnessed at the border where Indians were beaten up mercilessly. During her journey towards the Polish border, Asha was separated from her friends and walked alone for miles. “I was lucky to find another group of Indian students who were walking towards the border. Many of us also suffered from hyperthermia.”

    “I walked for 40 to 50 kilometres in these four days. My legs are swollen, my skin is peeling. I have cuts and bruises. It’s the same with my friends,” she constantly coughed as she spoke. “Now, I am in a safe place. The arrangements here are fantastic,” she said as she praised Amit Lath, vice-president of the Chamber, who is helping the Indian Embassy in Poland in making arrangements for the evacuees. “He is also helping us in trying to locate other Indian students who are similarly stranded.”

  • First AI flight carrying 219 Indian evacuees from Ukraine lands in Mumbai

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The first Air India flight carrying 219 Indian evacuees from Ukraine landed at the Mumbai airport from Bucharest, Romania, on Saturday evening, ATC sources said.

    Operated with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane, Air India flight AI-1944 touched down the runway at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) here at 7.50 pm, they said.

    Union Minister Piyush Goyal was at the airport to receive the Indian nationals returning from war-hit Ukraine on their arrival.

    The Air India flight had left from Mumbai for Bucharest at 3.38 am Saturday and landed there at around 10.45 am (Indian Standard Time). It departed for Mumbai at 1.55 pm (IST).

    #WATCH | Union Minister Piyush Goyal welcomes the Indian nationals safely evacuated from Ukraine at Mumbai airport pic.twitter.com/JGKReJE1ct
    — ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2022
    The Ukrainian airspace has been closed for civil aircraft operations since the morning of February 24 and therefore, the evacuation flights are operating out of Bucharest and Budapest.

    Indian nationals who reached the Ukraine-Romania border by road have been taken to Bucharest by Indian government officials so that they can be evacuated in the Air India flights.

    Around 16,000 Indians, mainly students, were stranded in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had said on February 24.

    The distance between Kyiv and the Romanian border checkpoint is approximately 600 km and it takes anywhere between eight hours to 11 hours to cover it by road.

    The Indian embassy in Ukraine on Friday said it was working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had earlier in the day said on Twitter that AI1944 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,” he added.

    Air India will operate more flights on Saturday to Bucharest and Hungarian capital Budapest to evacuate Indians stranded in Ukraine.

    Prior to the closure of the Ukrainian airspace, Air India had operated a flight to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on February 22 that brought 240 people back. It had planned to operate two more flights on February 24 and February 26 but could not as the Russian offensive began on February 24 and the Ukrainian airspace was consequently shut down.

  • India steps up efforts to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine amid Russian military offensive

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Friday was grappling with complexities in evacuating its citizens from Ukraine through land border crossings in view of rapidly advancing Russian troops and chaotic ground situation as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the “predicament” of the stranded Indian nationals with his Ukrainian counterpart.

    Notwithstanding the difficult ground situation, India managed to set up camp offices in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine to facilitate the transit of Indians to Hungary, Romania and Poland, official sources said.

    India also positioned teams of officials at Zahony border post in Hungary, Krakowiec as well as Shehyni-Medyka land border points in Poland, Vysne Nemecke in the Slovak Republic and Suceava transit point in Romania to coordinate exit of Indian nationals from Ukraine, they said.

    External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the first batch of evacuees from Ukraine reached Romania via Suceava border crossing and Indian officials will now facilitate their travel to Bucharest for their onward journey to India.

    Bagchi also shared on Twitter visuals of Indians crossing the Romania-Ukraine border.

    Senior officials said Air India will operate two flights to the Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday to evacuate the Indians. More flights are likely to operate in the next few days.

    Earlier, the Indian embassy in Ukraine said over 470 students will exit Ukraine and enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret border on Friday and that it is moving them to neighbouring countries for onward evacuation.

    It said that the “massive evacuation” operation was organised through the joint efforts of Indian embassies in Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Hungary and that efforts are underway to relocate Indians coming in from the hinterland.

    As India stepped up efforts to evacuate around 16,000 of its citizens, mostly students, Jaishankar, during a phone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed the predicament of the Indian nationals and appreciate his support for their safe return.

    “Received call from Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba. He shared his assessment of the current situation. I emphasised that India supports diplomacy & dialogue as the way out,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    “Discussed predicament of Indian nationals, including students. Appreciate his support for their safe return,” he added.

    India is trying to evacuate its nationals through Ukraine’s land borders with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Ukrainian government closed the country’s airspace following the Russian military offensive.

    As concerns mounted in India over the well-being of its citizens, Russian diplomatic sources said the Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine should stay calm and remain wherever they are.

    The sources said President Vladimir Putin conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night that the Russian military operation in Ukraine does not represent any threat to the civilian population.

    In his telephonic conversation with Putin, the prime minister “sensitised” him about concerns over the safety of the Indian citizens in Ukraine and conveyed that India attaches the highest priority to their safe exit and return home, according to an official statement.

    A Russian readout said the President of Russia said that “necessary instructions would be given”.

    The sources said Russia will definitely extend assistance to India for the evacuation of its citizens from Ukraine if it receives any specific request.

    The Indian embassy in Ukraine appealed to the Indians to continue to remain “strong, safe and alert” in “this difficult” and assured them that the Indian government and the mission are working to establish evacuation routes.

    “Once above routes are operational, Indian nationals travelling by their own arrangements for transport would be advised to proceed to above border checkpoints, and remain in touch with the helpline numbers set up at respective checkpoints for facilitation through the border,” it said.

    It also advised Indians to paste printouts of the Indian flag prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling.

    The Indian embassies in Poland and Slovakia too issued separate advisories explaining details about their entry into these two countries.

    The Indian embassy in Poland asked Indian nationals arriving at the Poland-Ukraine border by bus or taxi to enter through the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing and not by the Krakowiec point.

    In a separate development, Russia said it expects support from India at the UN Security Council when the global body takes up a crucial resolution on the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

    Russia’s Charge d’affaires Roman Babushkin said India has a deep understanding of the reasons that led to the current situation in Ukraine and Moscow is looking for continued support from New Delhi in sync with the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.

    The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on Friday evening on a draft resolution on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine as well as the escalating situation in the eastern European country.

    “We highly appreciate India’s deep understanding of the current situation as well as the reasons that led to it. We expect India to support Russia at the UN Security Council,” Babushkin told PTI.

    In another development, the heads of missions of European countries in India expressed solidarity with their Ukrainian counterpart, strongly condemning Russia’s “unprovoked and unjustified” military attack on Ukraine.

    The envoys held a meeting in New Delhi and extended their full support to Ukraine.

    Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan Ugo Astuto said the EU and its member states stand in solidarity with Ukraine ambassador to India Igor Polikha.