"Exploring Options" On Students Studying In Ukraine: India At UN

India has said that it is exploring options to minimise the impact on the education of Indian students in Ukrainian universities, as several of them, mostly studying at medical colleges, were worried about their future after fleeing the war-torn East European country.

India's Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador R Ravindra, during a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine at the UN Security Council, said the impact of the situation on the education of children has been severe and further aggravated the pandemic-related challenges that children were already facing.

He said that the situation has affected foreign students, including those from India.

India facilitated the safe return of about 22,500 Indians, mostly students, from Ukraine after Russia launched a large scale military aggression against it.

“We are exploring options to minimise the impact on our students' education. We appreciate the relaxations made by the Ukrainian Government for this academic year in respect of medical students,” Mr Ravindra said.

Mr Ravindra reiterated that India supports calls for guarantees of safe passage to deliver essential humanitarian corridors. He also noted that the food security challenges emanating from the conflict “requires us to respond by going beyond constraints that bind us presently.

“Energy security is equally a serious concern and needs to be addressed through cooperative efforts,” Mr Ravindra said.

“Since the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, India has stood for peace, dialogue and diplomacy. We believe that no solution can be arrived at by shedding blood and at the cost of innocent lives, especially those of women and children,” he said.