Indian students stranded in Germany safe, says scholars body

Aurangabad, Apr 8 () With several Indian studentsstranded in Germany due to the lockdown, the Frankfurt IndianScholars Association (FISA) has assured they are safe andappealed to their parents not to panic.

FISA executive member Abhishek Acharya in a statementissued on Tuesday said all Indians in Germany are safe andthat it is arranging webinars (live, virtual interactivesessions), answering queries and providing authenticinformation to students.

The Embassy of India in Berlin has released helplinenumbers to provide help to Indians staying in Germany, thestatement said, adding that the German government hasannounced relief packages for students who have lost theirjobs due to the pandemic.

Acharya also mentioned that Germany has relaxed itslockdown and grocery stores are open, and the online deliverysystems are also working normally.

Nupur Kulkarni, who hails from Maharashtra'sAurangabad district and is currently pursuing a finance coursein Frankfurt, in a message said she has been at home for twomonths now.

"Lectures and exams are conducted online and(assignments) submission dates are also extended because ofthe pandemic. Food items having long shelf-life are availablein stores and public transport is also operational," she said.

Aurangabad native Vaibhav Rajkarne, who is studying atthe Hamburg University of Technology, said the situation thereis under control.

"Though coronavirus cases are increasing, essentialservices are running smoothly. We are being taken care of andsome industries have also started functioning in shifts bymaintaining social distancing," he said.

Ashish Keshkamat, a native of Belgaum in neighbouringKarnataka and currently staying in Hamburg, said a recentvideo showed Indians were facing problems in Germany, but itis not the case.

Ticket counters for public transport are closed butpeople can buy tickets online, he added. AWGK GK