**Executive Summary**
This document is a response from the Ministry of External Affairs to questions raised in the Lok Sabha regarding consular services. It details the evacuation of Indian citizens from conflict zones in the past three years, the average waiting time for passport services, and measures taken for the welfare of Indian workers in Gulf countries. The information provided is up to date as of June 2025 for some details.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Evacuation of Indian Citizens:**
* 28,169 stranded Indian nationals were safely evacuated from conflict zones in the last three years.
* The government provided logistical support, including shelter, food, and transportation, via special evacuation flights.
* Annexure-I contains country-wise details of evacuation operations and expenditures.
* **Passport Services Waiting Times:**
* Annexure-II contains RPO-wise details of average waiting times for passport services at Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK).
* **Welfare of Indian Workers in Gulf Countries:**
* The government prioritizes the safety, security, and well-being of Indian nationals abroad, particularly workers in Gulf countries.
* Recruitment for Indian workers is done through the eMigrate portal to ensure safe and orderly emigration.
* Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojna (PBBY), a mandatory insurance scheme, and Pre-Departure Orientation & Training (PDOT) are in place.
* Indian citizens abroad can contact the Ministry through various channels, including emergency numbers and grievance redressal portals.
* Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSK) and Kshetriya Pravasi Sahayata Kendras (KPSKs) provide assistance to Indian nationals in distress.
* Only State-run Recruiting Agencies (RAs) can recruit Indian female ECR category workers over 30 for overseas employment in Gulf countries.
* Missions in Gulf countries have shelter homes for distressed Indian women.
* Welfare and protection matters are discussed with GCC countries and host governments.
* The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) assists overseas Indian nationals in distress.
* The Government extended assistance to 2,38,141 distressed Indian nationals through ICWF (till June 2025).
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Citizens Evacuated from Conflict Zones**
* **Impact:** Beneficiaries of evacuation efforts, provided with safe passage and support.
* **Action Required:** None. Evacuation is completed.
**Indian Nationals Seeking Passport Services**
* **Impact:** Information on average waiting times at different PSKs and POPSKs to help plan passport application processes.
* **Action Required:** Review Annexure-II for waiting times at preferred passport service locations.
**Indian Workers in Gulf Countries**
* **Impact:** Enhanced safety, security, and access to support mechanisms and welfare schemes.
* **Action Required:** Understand available resources and procedures for safe emigration and grievance redressal.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of External Affairs: The Indian ministry responsible for foreign affairs, overseeing evacuations, passport services, and welfare of Indian nationals abroad.
Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK): Government facilities for passport application and issuance in India.
Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF): A fund established by the Government of India to assist overseas Indian nationals in distress.
Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojna (PBBY): A mandatory insurance scheme for ECR category Indian migrant workers.
eMigrate Portal: Web based application to ensure orderly and legal emigration for Indian workers
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 988
ANSWERED ON- 05/12/2025
CONSULAR SERVICES
988. SHRI BALRAM NAIK PORIKA
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-
(a) the details of the Indian citizens who were evacuated from conflict
zones during the last three years indicating the expenditure incurred
thereon;
(b) the average waiting time for passport services in Passport Seva Kendra
(PSK) and Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK), categories and
location-wise;
(c) the measures being taken to protect the rights and welfare of Indian
workers in Gulf countries; and
(d) the details of cases of distressed Indian nationals abroad handled and
assistance being provided to them?
1ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)
(a) During the last three years, the Government of India has safely
evacuated 28169 stranded Indian nationals from conflict zones. During
these evacuations, the Government provided logistical support, including
safe shelter, food and international transportation by arranging special
evacuation flights for the stranded Indian nationals on gratis basis. The
country-wise details of evacuation operations, along with expenditure
incurred is attached as Annexure-I.
(b) RPO-wise details of average waiting time for passport services at
PSK and POSK is attached as Annexure-II.
(c & d) The Government accords highest priority to the safety, security and
well-being of Indian nationals abroad including Indian workers in Gulf
Countries and has taken several measures in this endeavour.
To ensure safe and orderly emigration for Indian workers, the process
of recruitment is done through eMigrate portal. The web-based application
makes the process of emigration fully digital, transparent, safe, legal,
humane, efficient, convenient and faster.
Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojna (PBBY), a mandatory insurance scheme
for ECR category Indian migrant workers and Pre-Departure Orientation &
2Training (PDOT), a one-day training programme on soft skills, are in place
to ensure that Indian migrant workers undertake safe migration, are aware
of their rights and have access to various welfare schemes of the
Government.
Indian citizens abroad can reach out to the Ministry/Missions/Posts
through various channels/mechanisms like walk-in, email, multilingual
24x7 emergency numbers, open houses conducted by the Missions,
grievances redressal portals like MADAD, CPGRAMS, eMigrate and social
media etc, in case they need any assistance.
Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendras (PBSK) have been set up in New
Delhi, Dubai (UAE), Riyadh and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Kuala Lumpur
(Malaysia) and Kshetriya Pravasi Sahayata Kendras (KPSKs) in Kochi,
Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Patna and Chandigarh to provide
assistance, guidance and counselling to Indian nationals in distress.
As additional safeguard for Female workers (including domestic
sector workers) to protect them against exploitation, Government has
authorized only State run Recruiting Agencies (RAs) to recruit Indian
female ECR category workers having minimum age of 30 years for
overseas employment in Gulf and other ECR Category Countries through
the e-Migrate Portal. The Missions in Gulf Countries have provisions for
3shelter home to assist Indian women in distress by providing boarding and
lodging, medical treatment and arranging for their repatriation.
Based on MoUs signed with the GCC countries, matters related to
welfare and protection of workers are taken up during regular meetings of
Joint Working Groups with concerned countries. In addition, such matters
are also regularly taken up with respective host governments through
diplomatic channels.
Furthermore, The Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) has also
been set up for assisting overseas Indian nationals in distress, repatriation
of mortal remains and for extension of counselling and legal assistance
etc on a means tested basis. During the last three years, the Government
has extended assistance to 2,38,141 (till June 2025) distressed Indian
nationals through ICWF and evacuated 28169 stranded Indian nationals
from conflict zones.
4Annexure-I
Details of Stranded Indian citizens evacuated from conflict zones during
the last three years
Year of Country of Total number of Total funds
Evacuation evacuation & Name persons evacuated utilized
of the Operation (including foreign (in ₹)
nationals)
February Ukraine 18,282 116.5 Crore
2022 Operation Ganga
April-May Sudan 4097 45.63 Crore
2023 Operation Kaveri
October Israel 1343 16.87 Crore
2023 Operation Ajay (including 14 OCI
card holders and
20 foreign
nationals)
December Syria 77 39.95 Lakhs
2024
March 2024 Haiti 17 48.34 Lakhs
5Operation Indravati
June 2025 Operation Sindhu Iran – 3597
(Iran and Israel) (including 14 OCI 27.68 Crore
Card holders and (as on date)
14 foreign
nationals)
Israel – 818
Government of India has evacuated 28169 stranded Indian nationals and
62 foreign nationals from conflict zone during last 3 years.
6Annexure-II
Average appointment cycle/waiting time for Passport Services (RPO Wise)
PSK POPSK
Normal PCC Tatkaal Normal PCC
Sl. RPO Average Average Average Average Average
No. of of WDAYS of WDAYS of WDAYS of WDAYS
WDAYS
1 Ahmedabad 7 1 1 6 1
2 Amritsar 1 1 1 7 1
3 Bangalore 7 1 1 5 1
4 Bareilly 25 1 1 31 2
5 Bhopal 1 1 1 4 1
6 Bhubneswar 2 1 1 2 1
7 Chandigarh 1 1 1 4 1
8 Chennai 4 2 1 7 1
9 Cochin 3 1 1 7 4
10 Coimbatore 10 1 9 4 1
11 Dehradun 8 2 1 3 1
12 Delhi 11 1 1 33 1
13 Ghaziabad 15 1 1 19 1
714 Goa 1 1 1 6 1
15 Guwahati 2 1 1 3 1
16 Hyderabad 7 2 3 2 1
17 Jaipur 2 1 1 4 2
18 Jalandhar 1 1 1 1 1
19 Jammu 1 1 - 7 1
20 Kolkata 4 1 1 3 1
21 Kota 1 1 1 1 1
22 Kozhikode 4 1 1 7 1
23 Lucknow 13 4 1 8 -
24 Madurai 1 1 1 2 1
25 Mumbai 16 4 2 21 3
26 Nagpur 1 1 2 2 1
27 Patna 2 1 1 3 1
28 Pune 15 3 1 6 1
29 Raipur 1 1 1 2 1
30 Ranchi 1 1 1 2 1
31 Shimla 1 1 1 1 1
32 Srinagar 1 1 - 3 1
33 Surat 15 1 1 3 1
834 Trichy 1 1 1 2 1
35 Trivandrum 2 1 1 12 2
36 Vijayawada 12 1 2 16 1
37 Visakhapatnam 8 9 1 4 9
WDAYS = Working Days (as on 21.11.2025)
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