New Delhi [India], Mar 25 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Ministry of External Affairs to expeditiously provide basic amenities like food, water, transportation, medical care and lodging to Indian students stranded at the Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan for the last few days.
A division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh, while hearing the matter through video conferencing, directed the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure the welfare and safety of the stranded students.
The court also sought a detailed response from the MEA on a plea filed before it claiming that Indian students are stranded at the Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan without food, water, transportation, and medical aid for the last two to three days.
The matter was slated for further hearing on April 28.
The petition stated that Indian nationals in sizeable numbers, who are enrolled for higher studies, including MBBS, as regular students at the Semey Medical University in Kazakhstan, are stated to be stranded at the Almaty Airport, Kazakhstan.
Advocate Jasmeet Singh, standing counsel for the Central government, who appeared on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs, prayed for time to obtain instructions and file a brief reply.
"In view of the unsettled and difficult situation - emerging from the global COVID-19 pandemic - in which Indian students find themselves stranded at the Almaty Airport, Kazakhstan, we find it incumbent upon us to direct the Ministry of External Affairs to promptly appoint a Nodal Officer from the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan to ensure, inter alia, the welfare, well-being, and safety of all such Indian students," the court said.
"The Nodal Officer is directed to expeditiously facilitate, secure and provide the said students with all basic amenities and humtarian assistance, in terms of, medical care, boarding (food), lodging and transportation, as may be necessary or warranted," it added.
The court further directed that the details and other necessary particulars of the Nodal Officer including his name and telephone number, be communicated to the Indian students stranded at the Almaty Airport, Kazakhstan and be also uploaded on the official website of the Indian Embassy in Kazakhstan, and the Ministry of External Affairs, India.
( With inputs from ANI )