Vande Bharat Mission | Operation Samudra Setu | GS Paper 2

In 2020, Indian nationals stranded overseas due to the global lockdown were brought back to India under the Vande Bharat Mission.

In addition, the Indian Navy has also launched Operation “Samudra Setu”  to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas.

It is considered as the largest exercise to bring back Indian citizens since the evacuation of 177,000 from the Gulf region in the early 1990s at the start of hostilities between Iraq and Kuwait during the first Gulf War.

The mission has given priority to Indian citizens with “compelling reasons to return" – like those whose employees have been terminated, those whose visas have expired and not expected to be renewed under the present circumstances, and those who have lost family members in recent times.

The entire cost of travel will be borne by the passengers under the mission.

Operation Samudra Setu

The program named Samudra Setu by the Indian navy entails bringing back around 2000 Indians in two ships during the first phase of evacuation.

INS Jalashwa and INS Magar are being operated as part of efforts to repatriate Indian nationals from foreign shores.