J&K CM Orders Luxury Transit for Iran-Evacuated Students

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Rescued from Iran, Respected at Home: J&K CM Orders Luxury Transit for Students

Prime Highlights:

Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, ordered luxury buses to take up students brought out of Iran following criticism of substandard transport arrangements.
About 110 Indian citizens, 94 of whom were from J&K, were brought back to Delhi in Operation Sindhu.

Key Facts:

The students were brought back out of Iran amidst rising tensions in the Middle East and reached New Delhi on June 18.
Complaints regarding the atrocious state of buses booked for their journey to J&K led to the government taking swift action.

Key Background:

1. Safe Evacuation from Iran During Conflict
When tensions mounted in the Middle East, the Indian government launched Operation Sindhu to evacuate Iran-bound citizens stranded in Iran. On 18 June, 110 individuals—mostly students who were proceeding for higher studies at Urmia Medical University—were evacuated back to Delhi. The operation was with speed in consideration of the volatile security situation in Iran, especially with the intensification of the Iran-Israel conflict.

2. Struggle Post-Rescue: Below-Par Transport
While the airlift and evacuation were well organized and executed, Jammu and Kashmir students complained seriously about road transport arranged to take them to their home state from Delhi. They called most of the buses unusable to travel and labeled them as wretched and unsafe. Their complaints drew serious attention and caused public concern.

3. Immediate Government Action of Jammu & Kashmir
As soon as he came to know about the issue, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took immediate action. He instructed the J&K Resident Commissioner in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) to replace the sub-standard buses with luxury coaches. The CM directed that all students who were evacuated would be sent home safely and comfortably.

4. Round-the-Clock Evacuation and Assistance
India’s government is still eager to process the repatriation of its nationals from conflict regions. With over 4,000 Indians still resident in Iran with the exception of a few students, the additional evacuations continue to take place. The Ministry of External Affairs is cooperating with ground-level diplomatic offices and aerial assistance partners to facilitate safe and timely repatriations.