NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indians in Ukraine are safe and secure and that India will also help people from neighbouring and developing countries who are stranded in the eastern European nation.
The prime minister made the remarks at a high-level meeting, his second of the day, that was held to review the ongoing efforts under "Operation Ganga" to bring back the Indians stranded in Ukraine, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The government has also decided to send Union ministers Hardeep Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and General (retd) V K Singh to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Moldova to oversee the evacuation of Indians.
The MEA said Modi noted that the first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation on the country's borders would be dispatched on Tuesday.
"The prime minister pointed that the visit of four senior ministers as his Special Envoys to various nations will energise the evacuation efforts.
It is reflective of the priority the government attaches to this matter," the MEA said in a statement.
"Guided by India's motto of the world being one family, the prime minister also stated that India will help people from neighbouring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance," it added.
It further said: "The prime minister said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indian nationals there are safe and secure."
The Centre is taking all steps to rescue Tamil Nadu students stranded in Ukraine and they would be brought to India soon, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar assured Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday.
The minister gave the assurance to ensure the safe return of students from the state during a telephonic conversation with the Chief Minister.
Following up on his February 24 letter to the Centre to evacuate the students out of Ukraine immediately, Stalin spoke to Jaishankar over phone and sought the Centre's help in rescuing the stranded students.
Russia had launched its military action against Ukraine on February 24.
Nearly, 5,000 students from Tamil Nadu, mostly in professional courses and other emigrants from Tamil Nadu were stranded in the eastern Europe country.
According to a release from the state government, the Chief Minister urged the government to ensure the safety of the students and provide them food and shelter.
During the phone conversation, Stalin asked the Union minister to appoint a nodal officer.
Air India Express, the low-cost international budget arm of Air India, has said it is operating a flight to Bucharest in Romania to fly back Indian evacuees from war-torn Ukraine.
Air India Express flight, IX-1201, which departed from the city's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 1.50 pm on Monday, is expected to arrive here with 182 Indian nationals the next day, the airline said in a statement.
An official release said that Air India Express aircraft which had taken off from Mumbai has reached Henri Coanda Airport in Bucharest, Romania.
The flight will have a stopover at Kuwait for refuelling, before arriving at Mumbai airport on Tuesday.
The release stated that the flight is likely to arrive at Mumbai between 7.30 am-8.30am on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Union Minister for MSME, Narayan Rane will receive the second batch of home-bound Indians on its arrival at the airport here.