1,000 students to return as Iran opens airspace for India
What's the story
Another 1,000 Indian students will return to Delhi on Friday from conflict-torn Iran after the country agreed to open its airspace to aid the return of students, NDTV reported.
The first flight is set to land at 11:00 PM IST.
Two more flights will land on Saturday: one in the morning and one in the evening.
Time
110 Indian students reached Thursday
A group of 110 Indian students, including 94 from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), were earlier evacuated from conflict-hit Iran on Wednesday.
The evacuation was carried out by the Indian government, with the students being flown from Doha, Qatar's capital, after crossing into Armenia.
The students reached Delhi early Thursday morning.
Airspace
Iran closed its airspace last Friday
Iran closed its airspace last Friday after Israel attacked its nuclear facilities and killed several of its military commanders as part of what it warned would be a long-term effort to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
After the attack, Iran closed its airspace until further notice.
Iran has since retaliated with hundreds of drones and missiles, even firing at least one missile that scatters small bombs at the Jewish nation.
These attacks have killed around 24 people in Israel.
Students
Many students pursue medicine in Iran
Over 4,000 Indian nationals, about half students, are in Iran.
Many students, particularly from Jammu and Kashmir, are pursuing medical courses.
Iran offers affordable medical education, with tuition fees at universities like Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences being much lower than in Europe or the United States.
Living expenses are also reasonable, making it an attractive option for middle-income families.
Other reasons
Many Iran universities are recognized by NMC
Apart from cost, students are also attracted to the modern infrastructure, integrated curricula, and early clinical exposure offered by Iranian medical universities.
Moreover, these universities are recognized by India's National Medical Commission (NMC), allowing graduates to practice in India after passing the FMGE (NEXT) exam.
Many of these Iranian universities are also listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), which helps bolster their international recognition.