&w=3840&q=100)
J&K CM Omar Abdullah arranges deluxe buses for evacuated students from Iran following transport concerns
The J&K administration had sent three buses to bring back its students. However, these buses were regular, non-air-conditioned run by Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC), many of which were reportedly in poor condition read more
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday ordered the arrangement of deluxe buses for Indian students who returned from Iran late at night. The first flight carrying 110 Indian nationals landed in New Delhi on Thursday night under Operation Sindhu.
As many as 90 students among the 110 people are from Jammu and Kashmir who were evacuated from the conflict-ridden zone in Iran. Before landing in India, the evacuees were flown to Armenia. They landed in the national capital early in the morning.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
'The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,' a statement from J&K's CMO read.
The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged. — Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) June 19, 2025
The move follows concerns raised by the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association over inadequate transportation to bring back the students from Delhi.
At the same time, while students from Jammu and Kashmir evacuated from war-torn Iran have thanked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for their swift repatriation, many are disappointed with the lack of arrangements made by the Union Territory government for their onward journey to Kashmir.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
'We have been travelling for four days now. We were assured that we would be provided bus serviced till Srinagar,' a student said.
The J&K administration had sent three buses to bring back its students. However, these buses were regular, non-air-conditioned run by Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC), many of which were reportedly in poor condition.
More than 4,000 Indian nationals are living in Iran, and half of them are students. The first batch of evacuated nationals travelled by road to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, under the supervision of the Indian missions in Iran and Armenia.
With inputs from agencies
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Who is Ghazala Hashmi? Indian-American wins lieutenant governor nomination; Democrat to contest Virginia race
Source- Instagram Senator Ghazala Hashmi made history on Wednesday by winning the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia. She is now the first Muslim and the first Indian-American ever nominated for a statewide office in Virginia. Hashmi defeated five Democratic candidates, including former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, clinching the nomination by a razor-thin margin of less than one percentage point. She will now face Republican John Reid in November. Reid is the first openly gay man nominated by a major party for statewide office in Virginia. With Hashmi joining gubernatorial nominee Rep. Abigail Spanberger and attorney general candidate Jay Jones, Democrats have now completed their statewide ticket. The general election could be historic in multiple ways, including the possibility of Virginia electing its first woman governor. Who is Ghazala Hashmi? Hashmi is the first Muslim woman and first South Asian American elected to Virginia's state Senate. She was born in India and moved to the US at age 4, settling in Georgia with her family. Hashmi holds a PhD in American literature and spent most of her professional life as a professor. She taught at the University of Richmond and later at Reynolds Community College before entering politics. In 2019, she entered the Virginia Senate by defeating Republican Glen Sturtevant in a closely watched race. She was re-elected in 2023. In the Senate, she championed reproductive rights. One of her key bills aimed to protect Virginians' access to contraception. The bill passed both chambers but was vetoed by Governor Glenn Youngkin.
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
38 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Those who speak English will soon feel 'ashamed': Home Minister Amit Shah
Amit Shah said that foreign languages cannot truly capture the essence of India's culture, history, or religion New Delhi Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that India is moving towards becoming a society where the use of English would no longer be seen as a marker of pride or status. 'In this country, those who speak English will soon feel ashamed — the creation of such a society is not far away. Only those who are determined can bring about change. I believe that the languages of our country are the jewels of our culture. Without our languages, we cease to be truly Indian,' Shah said, as quoted by ANI. He was speaking at the launch of 'Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon', a book authored by former IAS officer Ashutosh Agnihotri, in Delhi. Shah said that foreign languages are unable to fully express India's civilisation and spiritual roots. 'The idea of a complete India cannot be imagined through half-baked foreign languages. I am fully aware of how difficult this battle is, but I am also fully confident that Indian society will win it. Once again, with self-respect, we will run our country in our own languages and lead the world too,' he said. English is one of the two official languages of India. 'Panch Pran' now a national resolve The Home Minister also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five pledges, known as the 'Panch Pran', saying these have now become the collective will of the nation. 'Modi Ji has laid the foundation of the 'Panch Pran' (five pledges) for the Amrit Kaal. Achieving the goal of a developed India, getting rid of every trace of slavery, taking pride in our heritage, staying committed to unity and solidarity, and igniting the spirit of duty in every citizen — these five pledges have become the resolve of 130 crore people. That is why by 2047, we will be at the pinnacle, and our languages will play a major role in this journey,' Shah said. Amit Shah calls for civil services reform Amit Shah also said that India's administrative services require a radical transformation, and that the current training model lacks focus on empathy and service. 'A radical change is needed in the training of administrative officers... Rarely are they trained to introduce empathy in our system. Maybe because the British era inspired this training model. I believe that if any ruler or administrator rules without empathy, then they cannot achieve the real objective of governance...' he said.


India Today
38 minutes ago
- India Today
Saw missiles, thought we would die: Evacuated Indian students recall Iran horror
"We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified", said MBBS student Mir Khalif, his voice still trembling with fear, as he stepped out of the Delhi airport after being evacuated from war-hit Iran under Operation arrived in the national capital early Thursday in the first evacuation flight carrying 110 Indian students as part of the special operation launched by the Indian government in response to the escalating Iran-Israel students, including 90 from Jammu and Kashmir, were moved from Tehran to Armenia earlier this week as explosions and aerial attacks rocked Iranian cities. The rescue was coordinated by the Indian Embassy. Khalif described the experience in Iran as a nightmare and thanked the Indian government for evacuating them first to Armenia and then bringing them back home."We saw missiles and heard bombings. It was a war zone. Our building shook during the attacks. I hope no student has to face what we did," he said."There are students still stuck in Iran. They are being relocated to safer places. We hope they will also be airlifted to India soon," he a student from Kashmir, recalled the fear she lived through."We were the first ones to be evacuated from Iran. The situation was quite critical. We were terrified. We thank the Indian government and the Indian Embassy, which worked very fast and swiftly to bring us neighbourhood was attacked. When the Indian government came to our doorstep, it felt like home," she told PTI Akbar, a student from Delhi, said the destruction was visible everywhere."We saw a missile and a drone fall from the sky while travelling in a bus. Tehran is in ruins. The images on the news are real, the situation is very bad," he of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh reached the Delhi airport to receive the in a post on X, he said, "Warmly welcomed home the first group of 110 Indian nationals evacuated from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu, reaffirming India's steadfast commitment to the safety and well-being of its citizens abroad."Singh also shared some photos of the arrival of Indian nationals at the confirmed that evacuation efforts under Operation Sindhu are ongoing, with more flights scheduled."We have planes ready. We will be sending another plane today. We are evacuating some more people from Turkmenistan. Our missions have opened 24-hour helplines for any request for evacuation. As the situation evolves, we will be sending more planes to evacuate Indian nationals," he Union minister thanked governments in Turkmenistan and Armenia for their on Wednesday had said that the first evacuation flight of Indian nationals being moved out of Iran was to arrive in India from the Armenian capital of Yerevan in the early hours of June at the Delhi airport, several parents waited anxiously to reunite with their Ali, father of MBBS student Maaz Haider, said, "We are happy and grateful, but our hearts are still heavy knowing that many students are still stuck in Tehran. We urge the government to bring them back too."Parvez Alam from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, whose son studied in Urmia, said, "We were under constant stress. The students were shifted to Armenia and looked after well. We thank the government for this."The Jammu and Kashmir Students' Association also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for the evacuation."We remain hopeful that all remaining students will be evacuated soon," the association said in a statement.