New Delhi:As many as 22,706 Indians had been evacuated under Operation Devi Shakti, Operation Ganga and Operation Kaveri in the last five years along with 342 foreign nationals, the government said in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
According to the information provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, as many as 669 people from Afghanistan were evacuated after the takeover of the Taliban which included 206 Afghans (members of the Afghan Hindu/Sikh minority) in 2021. As many as 18,282 Indians were evacuated from Ukraine in 2022 under Operation Ganga after the Russian Federation unleashed a war on the former Soviet state while 4,097 Indians were evacuated from Sudan in 2023 under Operation Kaveri, which evacuated 136 foreign nationals, taking the total tally to 23,048 people.
This information came as a written response from V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs while replying to a couple of questions from a bunch of MP's enquiring "the details of measures taken by the Government to ensure safe return of Indians stuck abroad during the last five years" and the "details of rescue operations conducted in this respect, country-wise."
"Government accords highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indians abroad. Due to COVID-19, international air services were suspended, and special arrangements were put in place through air bubble and Vande Bharat Mission", the Minister said. "Government of India successfully facilitated travel of approximately 3.20 crore people (with 1.59 crore inbound and 1.61 crore outbound) under Vande Bharat Mission including Air Bubble arrangements from various countries in the world during May 2020 to March 2022", he further added.
