Members of the Lok Sabha, including those from the Opposition, praised the government’s efforts in evacuating Indian students from Ukraine on Tuesday.

During the debate on the situation in Ukraine, RSP member N K Premachandran commended the government’s efforts. He suggested that the evacuation program could have been improved if early cautious steps were taken and criticized the lack of clarity and direction in the advisories issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on February 15.

Premachandran pointed out that countries like New Zealand, Australia, the US, Britain, Japan, and Norway had issued advisories asking their citizens to leave immediately, while India’s advisory was vague. He believed that this was a strategic flaw in the evacuation process.

The Congress party praised the government for the success of Operation Ganga and providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. However, they criticized the statements made at the UN and the decision to abstain from voting against Russia.

Manish Tewari from the Congress party expressed concerns about a new Iron Curtain dividing the world, citing a joint statement between China and Russia on international relations. He warned that this could lead to a global division.

Dr. Sumathy from the DMK criticized India’s medical education policy, emphasizing the need for opportunities for students from marginalized communities to enter medical colleges. She highlighted Tamil Nadu’s resistance to NEET.

Sudip Bandhopadhyay from the TMC mentioned that Prime Minister Modi had assured West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee that the Centre would send the stranded students back to Hungary, specifically to Budapest.

In response to concerns about rising oil prices due to the Ukraine crisis, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri explained that India’s increase in petrol prices was much lower compared to other countries. He provided statistics showing the percentage increase in gasoline prices in various countries from April 2021 to March 2022.