BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that the body of Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagoudar will arrive at Bengaluru's international airport on Sunday, March 20, from Ukraine.

Naveen, a student from Karnataka's Haveri district who was studying medicine in Ukraine, died on March 1 as one of the victims of Russian shelling in war-torn Kharkiv. Bommai said, his body will arrive around 3 a.m. The state government has provided financial assistance to the deceased's family in the amount of Rs 25 lakh.

Shekarappa, Naveen's father, who was consoled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his son's death, had pleaded with the Prime Minister to safely return students trapped in Ukraine as soon as possible, since they are an asset to the country. He also expressed concern over the high cost of medical education in India and the inability of deserving candidates to obtain medical seats in the country.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress and JD(S) have requested that the NEET admission test be abolished, claiming that it promotes the country's tuition mafia.

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