MADURAI: Though it is reassuring that the Union government is showing concern for the students who recently returned from Ukraine, immediate action is the need of the hour, said Madurai MP S Venkatesan.
The parliamentarian had recently sent a letter to the Union Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad, requesting him to waive educational loans of students returning from the war-torn country.
In response, Karad said around 22,500 students have already returned from Ukraine. “The government has provided them with all kinds of assistance, including food, accommodation, and evacuation services under Operation Ganga.
The situation in Ukraine is fluid and we have been closely monitoring the developments. Once the situation stabilises, the government would assess the implications and consider remedial measures. In the interim, the government has asked the Indian Banks’
Association to assess the impact of the conflict on the outstanding education loans and to initiate a consultation with stakeholders in this regard,” he added. MP Venkatesan welcomed the response and urged the Union government to initiate urgent remedial measures as the students and their parents are already under undue stress.