Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin today received the last set of Tamilnadu students from Ukraine who arrived at Chennai airport around 9 am. The CM presented bouquets to the students and interacted with them for a few minutes.
Also, Stalin today spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over the phone, and thanked him for safely evacuating all Indian students, including those from Tamilnadu from war-hit Ukraine.
According to a State government press release, after receiving the last batch of students evacuated from Ukraine at the city airport today morning, Stalin thanked Jaishankar and the Union government for taking measures to evacuate the students from Tamilnadu.
The students, profusely thanking the Chief Minister for the help extended by the Tamilnadu government, said the officials from Tamilnadu were in constant touch with them since the start of the war in Ukraine and that was useful to them very much.
Stalin also presented shawls to the members of the special team led by Trichy N Siva, MP. Ministers M Subramanian, Masthan, and TM Anbarasan were present on the occasion.
The special team was originally scheduled to visit Hungary, Romania, Poland and Slovakia, the neighbouring countries of Ukraine where students from Tamilnadu have taken shelter and make arrangements for bringing them back. However, the team remained in New Delhi and was in regular touch with the External Affairs Ministry for evacuating the Tamil students from Ukraine.
Meanwhile, counsellors from the State health department have already called more than 1,456 students, including medicos, who have returned to Tamilnadu from Ukraine leaving their courses midway. Besides offering them emotional mental support, the counsellors asked the students what help they expect from the government.
Launching the tele-counselling as part of 104 helplines, Health Minister Subramanian said the councillors will spend time on the phone with 1,456 students who have reached Tamilnadu via Delhi.
He said the councillors will submit a report with details of students and their opinion on what should be done for the continuation of their studies.
The Minister also said the State government was prepared to help the students in continuing their studies in India, but that the decision rests with the Union government.