The Centre on March 21 informed the Supreme Court that it has got representations to allow students who left strife-torn Ukraine to continue their studies in India.
Appearing before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana, Attorney General K. K. Venugopal said the court should leave it to the government to take a call on the representations.
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"Government is looking into it. My Lords will have to leave it to the government," Mr. Venugopal submitted. The court recorded the submissions of Mr. Venugopal for the government and closed a petition filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari.
Mr. Venugopal pointed out that Mr. Tiwari's petition was primarily concerned with bringing back Indian students stranded in various conflict zones in Ukraine.
"We have already brought 22,500 students and nationals of other countries," the top law officer for the Centre briefed the court. In the previous hearing, the CJI had highlighted its concern for the students.
"It is unfortunate that we have not learnt the lessons from history about human race fighting wars and killing people... I know that conflicts can be resolved... However, here we have no say in that issue... But our anxiety is how to save lives of students and Indians caught in the zone," Chief Justice Ramana had said.
The court had also intervened in an urgent plea made by Fathima Ahana, a medical student at Odessa in Ukraine, for evacuation. Ms. Ahana and others in her group had made their way through Moldova to Romania, from where they were flown in to India. The court disposed of Ms. Ahana's petition on Monday.
