Indian students stranded in Germany safe, says scholars body

Aurangabad: With several Indian students stranded in Germany due to the lockdown, the Frankfurt Indian Scholars Association (FISA) has assured they are safe and appealed to their parents not to panic.

FISA executive member Abhishek Acharya in a statement issued on Tuesday said all Indians in Germany are safe and that it is arranging webinars (live, virtual interactive sessions), answering queries and providing authentic information to students.

The Embassy of India in Berlin has released helpline numbers to provide help to Indians staying in Germany, the statement said, adding that the German government has announced relief packages for students who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Acharya also mentioned that Germany has relaxed its lockdown and grocery stores are open, and the online delivery systems are also working normally.

Nupur Kulkarni, who hails from Maharashtra's Aurangabad district and is currently pursuing a finance course in Frankfurt, in a message said she has been at home for two months now.

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

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

"Though coronavirus cases are increasing, essential services are running smoothly. We are being taken care of and some industries have also started functioning in shifts by maintaining social distancing," he said.

Ashish Keshkamat, a native of Belgaum in neighbouring Karnataka and currently staying in Hamburg, said a recent video showed Indians were facing problems in Germany, but it is not the case.

Ticket counters for public transport are closed but people can buy tickets online, he added.

PTI