First batch of stranded Indians reach Romania from Ukraine
New Delhi, Feb 25: The first batch of Indian nationals from Ukraine reached Romania on Friday afternoon after crossing the Suceava border post, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Officials said more Indians in small groups are expected to reach Romania through the border crossing.
"The first batch of evacuees from Ukraine reach Romania via Suceava border crossing. Our team at Suceava will now facilitate travel to Bucharest for their onward journey to India," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
In a tweet, he also shared visuals of the Indians transiting the border post.
Senior officials said Air India will operate two flights to the Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday to evacuate the Indians. More flights are likely to operate over the next few days.
The two Air India flights are expected to depart Bucharest on Saturday.
India is trying to evacuate its nationals through Ukraine's land borders with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia after the Ukrainian government closed the country's airspace following the Russian military offensive.
Earlier, the Indian embassy in Ukraine said over 470 students will exit Ukraine and enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret border on Friday and that it is moving them to neighbouring countries for onward evacuation.
It said that the "massive evacuation" operation was organised through the joint efforts of Indian embassies in Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Hungary and that efforts are underway to relocate Indians coming in from the hinterland.
As India stepped up efforts to evacuate around 16,000 of its citizens, mostly students, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during a phone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, discussed the predicament of the Indian nationals and appreciated his support for their safe return.
"Received call from Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba. He shared his assessment of the current situation.I emphasised that India supports diplomacy & dialogue as the way out," Jaishankar tweeted.
"Discussed predicament of Indian nationals, including students. Appreciate his support for their safe return," he added.
The first batch of evacuees from Ukraine reach Romania via Suceava border crossing.
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) February 25, 2022
Our team at Suceava will now facilitate travel to Bucharest for their onward journey to India. pic.twitter.com/G8nz2jVHxD
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No role given to school teachers in matters related to stray dogs: Delhi education minister
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Tuesday rejected claims that teachers have been deployed to handle matters related to stray dogs around their educational institutions.
He said that no specific role has been assigned to school teachers in matters related to stray dogs.
Addressing a press conference, Sood alleged, "The Aam Aadmi Party leaders have been spreading misinformation on social media claiming that teachers were being diverted from their academic responsibilities for non-teaching duties."
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No such order or circular has been issued by the Delhi government, the minister said, and challenged the AAP to place any official document in the public domain to substantiate its claim.
The Directorate of Education directed schools in the national capital to appoint nodal officers to handle matters related to stray dogs around their educational institutions, in compliance with a Supreme Court order over the issue, but no such specific role has been assigned to teachers.
In an official statement issued on Monday, the directorate clarified, "No directions have been issued by the Directorate of Education concerning the assignment of specific duties to teachers."
There was no immediate response available from the Aam Aadmi Party to the allegations made by the education minister.
Sood further said that similar allegations were made by the AAP on several occasions in recent days, including claims related to administrative actions and school-related instructions, which he described as “incorrect”.
