Ministry of External Affairs, MEA has taken a valuable step to help students enrolled abroad but unable to travel due to lockdown restrictions. Indian students studying abroad and stuck in India due to COVID 19 can now reach out to MEA to get help.
Ministry of External Affairs has issued helplines to coordinate with Study Abroad students. Those students stuck in India due to COVID 19 pandemic restrictions and mobility issues can send their coordinates. Students can send their email ID and mobile number to OIA-II Division at Emails: us.oia2@mea.gov.in and so1oia2@mea.gov.in.
In a tweet, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Kind Attention! Indian students studying abroad but stuck in India due to COVID-19 and related issues can get in touch with the OIA-II Division at MEA.” This comes in the backdrop of problems being faced by international students owing to COVID-19 restrictions imposed by several countries.
The number of Indian students pursuing higher education or studying abroad is estimated to stand approximately at ten lakhs. Out of which many students are now stuck in India due to various reasons like delay in VISA approval, restriction to fly etc. In order to solve the problem of these students and help them to travel back, MEA has asked for the coordinates. More information can be obtained on the official website of MEA, mea.gov.in.
As per the report from news agency ANI, “Indian students who have received Covaxin or Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine are being asked to inoculate again across several international institutes as both of them are yet to be approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).”
Earlier, on June 4, 2021, the government extended foreigners’ visa validity stuck in India from March 2020 to August 31, 2021. Earlier, these foreigners had to get their visa extended every month.
Owing to the current approach by the Ministry of External Affairs, study abroad students may stay assured that soon they will be able to fly back to complete their studies. The step taken by the Ministry of External Affairs will be a great relief for the students studying abroad but stuck in India.
