COVID-19: SC notice to Centre to evacuating Indian students stranded in UK

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre on a plea for the evacuation of hundreds of students stranded in the United Kingdom, due to the lockdown and travel disruption in both the countries on the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic.

A bench presided over by Chief Justice S A Bobde sought a response from the Union government on a PIL filed by advocate Madhurima Mridul, who is the mother of one such student.

The court asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to take instructions and put the matter for consideration on April 13.

The petitioner, led by advocates Sunil Fernandes and Astha Sharma, suggested that various flights, ferrying the British nationals from India to the UK may be used to evacuate Indian students stuck over there.

She also asked the court to ensure that till the requisite arrangements were made for the evacuation of such students, they would be provided with accommodation, adequate health, and medical support by Indian High Commissioner in London.

"Most universities in the United Kingdom, where these students are studying have been shut down. There is no provision for food in the Cafeteria, which means the students are left to fend for themselves during the present crisis," it claimed.

The plea contended that the Indian government can quarantine the students on return or put other restrictions in terms of medical protocol but to pass a blanket order preventing them from returning back to homeland was violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

The petitioner contended India was probably the only country that had imposed an embargo on the return of its own citizens. Countries with a far greater incidence of mortality like China, Spain, Italy, Iran, South Korea and the United States of America too have not imposed any embargo on the return of their nationals from foreign shores.