Parliament Question: Safety concerns of Indian citizens

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1524 ANSWERED ON – 12/02/2026 SAFETY CONCERNS OF INDIAN CITIZENS 1524. DR. VIKRAMJIT SINGH SAHNEY SHRI A.D. SINGH Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :- (a) whether Government is attentive towards safety concerns of Indian citizens, including workers and students, currently stranded in war-affected zones of West Asia; (b) the estimated number of Indians affected in such conflict regions; (c) the steps taken by Government to ensure their safety, including evacuation plans, communication support and coordination with host countries; and (d) whether any special helpline, emergency assistance or diplomatic measures have been initiated for timely rescue and repatriation of Indian nationals from conflict zones? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) to (d) Safety, security and well-being of Indian nationals abroad, including workers and students is of foremost priority to the Government of India. The Government closely monitors any developing situations worldwide including the war-affected zones of West Asia, which may affect the safety of the Indian nationals. Based on prevailing circumstances, Government issues advisories to caution Indian nationals to avoid unnecessary travel, follow safety guidelines issued by the local authorities and remain in touch with the Indian Missions. Various communication mechanisms are available for the Indian nationals to connect with the Indian Missions/Posts, including by email, multilingual 24x7 emergency numbers, social media, toll free helplines, whatsApp numbers etc. In case of any adverse security situation, the Government launches evacuation operations as appropriate with a whole-of-government approach to safely evacuate stranded Indian nationals. During evacuation process, 24x7 Control Rooms are operated at headquarters and abroad to provide information and assistance to the stranded Indian nationals. Ministry is also developing a digital emergency response solution for use during planning and execution of evacuation operations. The solution provides a platform to the stranded Indian nationals to register with basic and real-time information along with current location and seek assistance during crisis. Government provides logistical support including safe shelter, meals, local and cross-border movement and transportation by arranging special vehicles and evacuation flights during evacuation. To ensure safety of the Indian nationals during evacuation process and successfully execute the operation, Government remains in continuous touch with its counterparts through diplomatic channels. If required, Government also coordinates with the governments of adjacent countries of the conflict-hit country to facilitate the evacuation and transportation through land borders. In recent past, Government evacuated 5945 affected/stranded Indian nationals from conflict- hit countries of West Asia. Details of evacuations/operations are attached at Annexure-I. 1Annexure-I Details of recent Evacuations/Operations from conflict-hit countries of West Asia Country & Name of the Total number of Indian nationals Year Operation evacuated Israel 1,343 2023 Operation Ajay (including 14 OCI card holders and 20 foreign nationals) Israel 2025 818 Operation Sindhu Iran 2025 3597 Operation Sindhu 2024-25 Syria 86 2022-25 Iraq 135 ***** 2