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Nearly 1,000 Indians are inactive successful Iran amidst the ongoing struggle successful West Asia portion 23,000 schoolhouse students based successful Gulf portion could not look successful the CBSE last examinations owed to the turmoil.
This was conveyed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to the Parliamentary Standing Committee connected External Affairs astatine a gathering held successful New Delhi connected Wednesday (March 18, 2026).
"Well, determination are astir 1,000 inactive successful Iran, but not each of them needfully privation to leave," president of the sheet Shashi Tharoor told reporters present aft the meeting.
Iran-Israel war: Follow LIVE updates from The Hindu connected March 19, 2026
The Congress person said Class 10 and Class 12 students based successful Gulf portion person not been capable to constitute their ongoing CBSE last examinations.
"I asked if determination could beryllium immoderate steps taken to code their plight. And I gathered that determination has already been consultations betwixt the MEA and the Ministry of Education astir ensuring that CBSE makes remedial arrangements for 23,000 students successful the Gulf who could not constitute the exams," helium said.
Mr. Tharoor said the gathering had broad discussions connected West Asia and each attendee MPs had questions and concerns astir the wide situation, the impact, the information and information of Indian nationals, the diaspora, the lipid and state supplies, etc.
"We got immoderate answers. We didn't get all. The Foreign Secretary was not available," helium said.
Sources said the members asked questions related to "India's silence" connected condemning the sidesplitting of Iranian ultimate person Ali Khamenei and "condoling deaths of civilians" but nary reply came from the MEA officials.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri did not be the meeting.
The sources said determination were nary answers to the questions related to India's vigor security, what is India's basal connected U.S. President Donald Trump's telephone for planetary forces to support the Strait of Hormuz and what connection has been conveyed to the Indian diplomatic missions connected condemnation and condolences.
Asked whether the sojourn of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel conscionable earlier the struggle started was figured, Mr. Tharoor said it was besides raised, but helium could not spell into interior discussions of the committee.
He said the concern successful the Gulf countries is that it is reasonably casual to travel successful and retired by commercialized means and flights are operating retired of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, little truthful from Qatar and Bahrain.
"Otherwise, anyone tin travel and go. It is nary longer a question of being stranded. But determination are inactive different complications," helium said.
The Congress person said the well-being of the Indian diaspora was besides discussed, questions were besides asked however galore ships are stuck with petroleum but the MEA officials did not person an nonstop fig for the fig of ships, but determination are a few.
Tharoor besides said that the 2nd portion of the gathering was connected the AI Impact Summit, its consequences, its implications for India's tech diplomacy, arsenic good arsenic for relations with countries successful the Global South.
"So, it was a good, comprehensive, thorough meeting," helium said.
