Indian students in tight spot amid Ukraine-Russia tensions
Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Feb, 2022 02:17 PM
New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) Indian students pursuing higher education in Ukraine have been caught in an uncertain and difficult situation amid the eastern European country's growing tensions with neighbouring Russia.
While parents are worried about the well-being of their children, the students are going through the hectic process of looking for flight tickets to return to India.
Students at the Ternopil Medical University in Ukraine capital Kyiv are in constant touch with the Indian Embassy. The varsity is also extending assistance to the students. There are around 20,000 Indian nationals in Ukraine. Most of them are medical students.
Nirdesh Dosi -- a resident of Rajasthan, who is pursuing MBBS -- told IANS: "In both the advisories issued by the Indian Embassy, it has been mentioned that the situation is 'bad'. After the second advisory, even students are thinking to return to India. Besides, the university has also kept the option of going home open."
Considering the rise in tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Indian citizens -- whose stay in the country is not essential -- have been advised to leave Ukraine, for now.
The Indian Embassy has further told the students to keep checking its social media handles such as Facebook and Twitter for all the updates.
Around 50 per cent of Indian students have already booked tickets for home while the rest of them are trying to book one.
An air ticket from Kyiv to India costs around Rs 25-30,000. Air India is currently operating three special flights. The price of tickets is, however, on the higher side at Rs 60,000 due to which the students are facing difficulties to book one.
Air India's special flights would be operated on February 22, 24 and Feb 26.
Another student from Gujarat, requesting anonymity, told IANS: "We need to look for tickets at least a week before... Moreover, the university has stated that online classes won't be held. We have been allowed to leave for a month but at the same time, asked to rejoin classes after a month. But we will miss out on the syllabus."
"Parents are quite worried. I am being told daily to book ticket and come back... things, however, don't look easy," he added.
The announcement marks this week's one-year anniversary of a supply chain review that found the U.S. is overly dependent on foreign sources, especially China.
Court documents allege there were also two undocumented Indian nationals in the van, along with snacks and provisions. Not far away, in southern Manitoba, RCMP and border officials discovered four frozen bodies, later identified as a couple and their two children from India, who investigators believe were part of a larger group making their way to the United States.
Around 20 medical students from Bareilly and Rampur district are stuck in Ukraine, following border tension with Russia. They want the government of India to evacuate them, according to family members. There are currently around 50 students from Bareilly studying in Ukraine.
The flight ticket prices have risen from Rs 50,000 to over Rs 70,000 and the students say it is this financial hurdle that is forcing them to stay put despite the advisory by the Indian government. On normal days, the flight tickets would cost Rs 21,000-Rs 26,000. But now, due to the Russia-Ukraine tensions, the rates have jacked up.
Former Amazon employee Rohit Kadimisetty has been sentenced to 10 months in prison with a fine of $50,000 for a fraud and bribery scheme targeting the e-commerce giant's online Marketplace. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) said in a statement that Kadimisetty, 28, of Northridge, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in September 2021.
Massachusetts and New York are the latest Democrat-led states to ease mask mandates, despite evidence that the surge in the Omicron variant is not yet over.
