New Delhi

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directions, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Monday spoke to Chief Secretaries of states and briefed them about the Central government's efforts to bring back students from Ukraine, sources said.

He also requested the District Collectors to contact family members of students and to keep them informed of arrangements being made for evacuation. The Prime Minister deputed four Union Ministers to neighbouring countries of Ukraine to coordinate the evacuation of stranded Indians amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.

Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia will be overseeing evacuation operations of stranded Indians in Romania and Moldova, while Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju will be visiting Slovakia.

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will be overlooking operations in Hungary, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport Gen (Retd) VK Singh will manage evacuations in Poland.

A second high-level meeting in the last 24 hours over the prevailing situation in Ukraine, especially with the evacuation of Indian citizens, was chaired by PM Modi on Monday.

Upon his return from Uttar Pradesh on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister held a two-hour-long meeting with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, and a host of senior bureaucrats over the prevailing situation in Ukraine. PM Modi in the meeting once again reiterated that ensuring the safety of Indian students and evacuating them is the country’s top priority.

It was also discussed to further enhance cooperation with neighbouring countries of Ukraine to expedite the evacuation of the stranded Indians.

The government has launched Operation Ganga to bring back stranded students and Indian citizens from the conflict-torn Ukraine.

Special flights are being operated by Air India under Operation Ganga. As many as 1,156 Indians from Ukraine have arrived in India so far.