Exit Plan For Indians Stuck Abroad

MEA makes strategy, authorities may ask returnees for Covid negative certificates

- Geeta Mohan

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has prepared a detailed exit plan presentation for bringing back Indian nationals to the country after the global lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic eases. The presentation was showed to top government officials during a meeting held by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Saturday.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla laid out an elaborate line up on how the ministry plans to bring home Indian nationals — with an exact count of who is where, and how many flights it would take from each country to various states of India.

Gauba has also asked all states and union territories to furnish data on students who are stranded abroad due to the coronavirus outbreak, they said, adding that the Centre would take the final call on a possible evacuation.