Parliamentary panel wants govt to prepare database of Indians abroad

A parliamentary panel has pointed out that India should prepare a database of its nationals abroad to deal with any possible emergency situation.

It raised the security issue of Indians in the wake of recent crisis in Afghanistan and the conflict in Ukraine.

In its report, the parliamentary committee on the Ministry of External Affairs also recommended that a standard operating procedure (SOP) should be implemented for evacuation of Indian nationals from abroad in case of emergencies.

“In the wake of two incidents, the need of creating database has become all the more important. The recent political crisis in Afghanistan and conflict in Ukraine are two cases in point,” the committee said.

It has tabled a report in Parliament. The panel described as “commendable” the MEA’s role in the evacuation of stranded Indians from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

In August, Indian government launched “Operation Devi Shakti” to bring back the Indians from Afghanistan after the Taliban’s capture of Kabul after the withdrawal of the American troops from that country.

Similarly, India launched “Operation Ganga” on February 26 to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine after Russia invaded the the eastern European country. Indian authorities ensured the return of over 22,000 of its citizens from Ukraine following the conflict.