In Iran, an estimated 2,000 Indian medical students, many of them from Jammu and Kashmir, are currently grappling with security risks, disrupted education, and uncertainty regarding their future.
On 15 March the first batch of over 70 Indian students returned home following a multi-stop journey via Armenia and Dubai.
The students who returned said that they had paid for their flight tickets themselves, while the government assisted them with completing the necessary documentation and securing travel clearances.
However, a large number of students remain stranded there. Some students have been unable to leave due to confusion over their examinations or hospital training, while others face logistical hurdles, such as visa-related issues in transit countries.
A final-year medical student, Fahad Syed, who is stuck in Iran, recounted that the past month had been filled with anxiety as students awaited updates from their university and the Government of India.
“When bombs fell near the police stations close to my hostel, I could feel the tremors,” he told University World News. “The entire room was shaking,” he stated.
Expediting the evacuation process
Student organisations have urged the government to expedite the evacuation process. On the other hand, parents of the students state that communication breakdowns and rapidly changing circumstances make it difficult for them to ascertain the safety of their children.
“The internet disruptions are also making life difficult for us as we are unable to connect with them easily,” said Mustaqim Hussain, who is a father of a girl studying medicine in Iran.
“I cannot explain how the delay in the children’s return is affecting our family. Ever since this war began, we have been living in constant tension.”
This is not the first time Indian students in Iran have faced such disruptions. In June 2025, following a previous round of hostilities, over 4,400 Indian citizens were repatriated as part of a major rescue operation.
Another round of unrest later that same year further disrupted the academic calendar. The recurring nature of such crises has raised serious questions regarding the long-term viability of pursuing medical studies in politically unstable regions.
Nasir Khuehami, national convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, said: “Parents were already anxious due to previous stressful situations, and now many have begun to question whether sending their children abroad for studies remains a safe option.”
Similarly, Indian students studying in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha are also worried, as Iran is targeting these locations as well.
A student studying at the BITS Pilani Dubai Campus said she paid nearly AED4,000 (US$ 1090) to travel to India, several times higher than the usual airfare.
She told University World News, on condition of anonymity: “The attacks in Dubai frightened me. My family in India was extremely worried and wanted me back with them at any cost.”
She added that many of her classmates were not as fortunate, as securing tickets has been difficult.
In recent years, countries such as Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia have emerged as affordable options for higher education, with tuition fees for entire courses ranging between INR2 million and INR3 million (between about US$22,000 and US$33,000), a figure significantly lower than that of private medical colleges in India, where fees can exceed INR10 million (about US$110,000).
This financial aspect has proven particularly crucial for students from regions like Jammu and Kashmir, where opportunities are limited and the demand for medical education is exceptionally high.
Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, national vice-president of the All India Medical Students Association, said in a statement that several attacks and incidents of missile strikes have occurred in Tehran.
“This has become a matter of grave concern for the Indian students residing there and also heightened anxiety among their families back in India.”
This crisis has also exposed the fragility of basic living conditions amidst conflict. Some students have reported facing shortages of food and essential supplies.
Although no formal announcement regarding a large-scale evacuation plan has been made yet, the Indian government is assisting individuals on a case-by-case basis by ensuring safe passage to border crossings and facilitating onwards travel arrangements.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that around 260,000 people have returned to India from West Asia since February 28, amid evolving airspace restrictions and operational challenges as regional tensions escalate.
Addressing an inter-ministerial briefing, Aseem Mahajan, joint secretary (Gulf) at the MEA, said: “While there have been operational disruptions in some countries, the overall flight situation is gradually improving with additional services being introduced.”
