New Delhi : The Ministry of External Affairs has prepared a detailed exit plan presentation for bringing back Indian nationals to the country after the global lockdown due to Covid-19 pandemic eases.

The presentation was showed to top government officials during a meeting held by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Saturday.

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla laid out an elaborate plan on how the ministry plans to bring home Indian nationals — with an exact count of who is where and how many flights it would take from each country to various states in India.

As part of the plan to bring India’s stuck abroad home, it was also suggested that authorities should ensure that they come to India with Covid-19 negative certificates to help administration.

This will help authorities determine whether to send individuals to quarantine camps or recommend them to self-quarantine at home after returning.

The MEA carried out an elaborate exercise to prepare the presentation, detailing the plan to bring back the “most compelling cases” until flights resume.

The numbers are not confined to Indian nationals, visitors and students, stranded abroad due to the lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The list also includes those Indians, who wish to return home because of some compelling “humanitarian” reason.

‘Special flights’ are being planned across airports in various Indian states. However, such flights are being planned on the basis of how convenient it will be for state governments to receive and quarantine incoming passengers.

Not just flights, India will also use ‘naval ships’ wherever possible to bring back the Indian nationals.

States have been alerted that this process could begin as soon as the Centre approves the plan. This is not the first time that the ministry has come up with a plan to repatriate Indians.

Some states, like Kerala, Punjab, Goa, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tamil Nadu also Karnataka with larger overseas communities were in favour of starting repatriations as soon as possible, using protocols that allow for safest entry, quarantine and home isolation.

The ministry of external affairs had been pushing for an evacuation plan of Indians since their Covid-19 control room was inundated with distress calls and messages.

Indian missions were asked to prepare lists and prioritise the evacuation of all the Indian nationals as per each flight that would take off from their respective stations.

With a sound strategy and state-level coordination on how to deal with arrivals, the ministry awaits a go-ahead from the government to put its plan into action.