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Evacuation of Medical Students from Iran
Due to the escalating situation between Iran and Israel, a forum requested the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Tehran to take immediate steps to evacuate Indian students stranded in Iran and bring them back to Karnataka.
In response, the Indian government launched Operation Sindhu, a move aimed at evacuating Indian nationals from both Iran and Israel.
Following this, evacuees began arriving in India from Thursday morning. A total of 126 individuals from Karnataka, including medical students, were brought back via Turkmenistan.
They were divided into two batches. The first batch landed in Bengaluru on Thursday, followed by the second batch on Friday.
Dr. Arathi Krishna, Vice President of the Non-Resident Indian Forum of the Government of Karnataka, also spoke about the evacuation.
In a conversation with The New Indian Express, she said, “The 126 people evacuated include medical students, tourists, and those who had gone to Iran for pilgrimage. They contacted the NRI Forum, and we coordinated the arrangements for evacuation.”
She also mentioned that no calls for assistance had yet been received from Indian citizens in Israel.
Her officer on special duty, HS Sathish, added that Indian students who were in Qom city have now been shifted to Mashhad. The embassy is making further arrangements for their evacuation. However, those who had gone for religious studies have not reached yet, and efforts are still ongoing.
Operation Sindhu
The Ministry of External Affairs officially launched Operation Sindhu on June 18, 2025, to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran. The move came in response to the deteriorating situation in the region due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
Under this operation, the Indian government has so far evacuated a total of 1,117 Indian nationals, using routes through Armenia and Turkmenistan.
Emergency helpline numbers and email contacts of the Indian Embassy in Tehran have also been shared for further assistance.
Additionally, the Indian government extended evacuation support to nationals of Nepal and Sri Lanka, following official requests from the two governments.
Medical Students Abroad: A Recurring Pattern of Risk
This isn’t the first time Indian medical students studying abroad have faced challenges during geopolitical tensions. From Ukraine and Sudan to now Iran, such situations have often raised concerns around student safety and the need for timely evacuation efforts.
(Input From Various Sources)
(Rehash/Pooja Bansal/MSM)
