Operation Ganga, a mission to bring back Indian students stranded in Ukraine
March 02, 2022
Amidst the Russia-Ukraine war, the Government of India has launched ‘Operation Ganga’, an initiative to safely bring back Indian students and citizens who are presently stranded in different cities across Ukraine.
This operation is dedicated to providing all kinds of assistance to Indian students and citizens stuck in the war zone. The Government has shared travel advisory, and Prime Minister Narendra Moji has mentioned the visit of four special envoys to different nations from where the evacuation has been carried out, in a high-level meeting for Operation Ganga.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is coordinating with the Ministry of Aviation, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of External Affairs for vacating Indians from Ukraine. 1156 Indians have safely arrived in India from Ukraine as of 28th February 2022.
How has the evacuation been executed?
- The 7th Air India evacuation flight under Operation Ganga arrived on 1st March 2022 in Mumbai carrying 182 Indian citizens
- Evacuation from neighboring countries: Along with Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet have joined the Operation Ganga mission, flying to Delhi and Mumbai from Ukraine's neighboring countries to evacuate stranded citizens and students.
- Indian Air-Force Aircrafts: According to the Ministry of External Affairs, over the next three days beginning from 1st March, a total of 26 flights have been scheduled to bring back Indian citizens. Indian Air Force aircraft have also been deployed for Operation Ganga.
- A real-time helpline portal: Operation Ganga Helpline is offering contacts for control centers in Romania, Hungary, Poland, and the Slovak Republic for the ease of the evacuation process. Ministry of External Affairs has also launched a dedicated Twitter account for Operation Ganga helpline details.
Keeping in mind the severity of the situation, Operation Ganga is aimed at pooling resources, providing humanitarian assistance, and a safe passage for bringing Indian civilians home, all through the cumulative efforts of different ministries that are working together.