PM Modi Briefs President Kovind On Russian Invasion: Source

Indian Govt. has launched "Operation Ganga" to evacuate India.

Amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a series of meetings yesterday regarding the developments in war-torn Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning met President Ram Nath Kovind to brief him on various issues, including the Ukraine crisis, sources said.

Prime Minister Modi reportedly briefed him on India's efforts to bring back students and other Indian nationals who have been stranded in Ukraine even as the war rages on, the source added.

Taking notes from the current situation of Ukraine, the Indian Govt.  has launched "Operation Ganga" to evacuate its nationals through Ukraine's neighboring countries. The Ukrainian air space has remained closed since February 24 when Russia started the invasion of the former Soviet republic.

Amid mounting criticism of India's evacuation efforts as stranded students flooded social media with frantic appeals for help, PM Modi held three meetings yesterday and assured that the entire government machinery is working "round the clock to ensure that all Indian nationals there are safe and secure" in Ukraine.

Four senior Ministers have been assigned to oversee evacuation efforts from the border countries to "energize the evacuation efforts". The four ministers include Hardeep Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and VK Singh. They will travel to the countries surrounding Ukraine as special Indian envoys to help with the evacuation. According to the sources, Jyotiraditya Scindia will be in charge of Romania and Moldova; Kiren Rijiju will fly to Slovakia; Hardeep Puri will go to Hungary and VK Singh will be in Poland.

Moreover, PM Modi has ensured the citizens to help them evacuate and said India will help people from neighboring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine.

In a statement of the foreign ministry, "Guided by India's motto of the world being one family, Prime Minister also stated that India will help people from neighboring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance."

1,922 Indians have been evacuated from Ukraine so far through nine flights under "Operation Ganga". Two flights had earlier managed to evacuate Indians before the airspace was closed. Air India brought back 241 Indians and a Ukrainian airline managed to bring 182 more before the government launched "Operation Ganga" to evacuate its nationals from neighboring countries.