NEW DELHI: On Friday, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal notified the Supreme Court that students from the National Medical University in Odessa, Ukraine, who had been stuck near the Ukraine-Romania border had passed into Romania. The top legal officer at the Centre indicated that these students would be brought back this evening on a separate flight.

The effort put in by Venugopal in facilitating the safe return of students from Ukraine was praised by a bench led by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and including Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli. Senior counsel A.M. Dhar, who represents petitioner Fathima Ahana, praised the Supreme Court and the Attorney General for their prompt intervention in the case.

At the outset, the AG told the court that the petitioner's information had been communicated with a senior minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is currently in Romania assisting Indian students with their evacuation.

The AG went on to say that he has been assured that the petitioner and other Odessa students have crossed into Romania and will arrive in India on Friday night. According to him, 17,000 Indians have been evacuated from Ukraine thus far.

The Attorney General further notified the Supreme Court that the Prime Minister conducted a high-level discussion this morning with ministries to hasten the evacuation of remaining Indians from Ukraine.

The Supreme Court praised the government's efforts in the matter, but noted that parents are concerned about their children's safe return from Ukraine. "You can set up an online helpline for parents to know (their children's whereabouts)...you can figure something out," the Chief Justice added.

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