The escalating Israel-Iran conflict, now in its fifth day, has plunged Indian students in Iran into a state of fear and uncertainty, with missiles and drones filling the skies and critical infrastructure under attack. The Indian government’s establishment of a 24/7 control room and the evacuation of 110 students from Urmia to Armenia are steps forward, but they are woefully inadequate given the scale of the crisis. With approximately 6,000 Indian students stranded across Iran, many in conflict zones like Tehran and Kermanshah, the government must replicate the decisive action seen during the Russia-Ukraine war to bring them home safely and alleviate the anguish of their families.
Indian students, predominantly pursuing medical degrees at institutions like Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Shahid Beheshti University, are enduring harrowing conditions. Reports describe students huddled in basements, haunted by the sound of explosions as close as 5 km from their hostels. In Kermanshah, Israeli airstrikes have flattened a hospital and injured two Kashmiri students in a hostel attack. Internet outages and restricted airspace have left students isolated, with limited communication to their families. The fear is palpable, with students like Imtisal Mohidin, a third-year MBBS student, stating, “We haven’t slept in three days,” and pleading for evacuation before the situation worsens.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has set up a control room with helplines (+91-11-23012113, +91-11-23014104, +91-11-23017905, +91-9968291988, and toll-free 1800118797) and a Telegram group for Indian nationals. The Indian Embassy in Tehran has relocated approximately 600 students from Tehran to Qom, 148 km away, deemed safer for now. The evacuation of 110 students from Urmia Medical University to Armenia, with plans to airlift them to Delhi, shows progress. However, these efforts cover only a fraction of the 6,000 students, with over 1,500 from Jammu and Kashmir alone still stranded. The opposition, including Congress and the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, has criticized the government for “passive advisories” and urged a coordinated evacuation mechanism.
India’s track record in crisis evacuations, such as Vande Bharat during the COVID-19 pandemic and Operation Ganga during the Russia-Ukraine war, demonstrates its capacity for swift, large-scale operations. In 2022, thousands of students were airlifted from Ukraine amidst active conflict, a feat praised globally. Yet, the current response in Iran feels fragmented. Advising students with “means and transport” to leave independently ignores the reality that many lack such resources, and Iran’s closed airspace and dangerous roads complicate self-evacuation. The government’s reliance on relocating students within Iran, such as to Qom, is a temporary fix, especially as students there report hearing missile strikes.
The government must act with urgency to:
1.Scale Up Evacuations: Expand operations through land routes to Armenia, Azerbaijan, or Turkmenistan, and negotiate with Iran for safe air corridors once feasible.
2. Enhance Support: Bolster the control room’s capacity to handle distressed calls and provide real-time updates, addressing patchy internet connectivity.
3. Ensure Academic Continuity: Facilitate online classes or transfers to Indian institutions to mitigate disruptions to students’ education.
4. Strengthen Diplomacy: Engage regional allies like Armenia, which has already supported evacuations, and press for a temporary ceasefire to enable safe exits.
The emotional and financial toll on students and their families cannot be overstated. Many come from middle-class backgrounds, having invested heavily in their education. Prolonged uncertainty risks derailing their futures. The government’s diplomatic engagement, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s talks with his Armenian counterpart, is encouraging, but words must translate into action. The plight of students, coupled with the distress of pilgrims and other Indian nationals in Iran, underscores the need for a comprehensive evacuation plan.
The safety of Indian students is a moral imperative and a test of the government’s commitment to its youth. The control room and partial evacuations are not enough when thousands remain in harm’s way, with missiles striking civilian areas and nuclear facilities. India must draw on its proven expertise from past crises and act decisively to bring its students home. The clock is ticking—every moment of delay risks lives and deepens the trauma of those caught in Iran’s escalating conflict.
