The India Navy has deployed two ships as part of its "Operation Samudra Setu" (Sea Bridge) to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas as India rolled out a massive evacuation plan to bring back its citizens from abroad. 

Lakhs of Indian citizens are stranded abroad due to the lockdown over the novel coronavirus. All international flights operations were suspended in March before the nationwide lockdown began on 25th that month. 

The first phase of multi-agency operation christened 'Vande Bharat Mission' will see Air India operate 64 non-scheduled commercial flights from May 7 to 14 May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals from 12 countries.

While most of the citizens are coming back from the gulf, flights are also being operated from the US, the UK, the Philippines and Singapore. According to estimates, around 1.4 crore Indians are staying in various parts of the world.

Announcing the flights, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said those availing the repatriation flights will be charged.

He said private Indian airlines may join the repatriation effort after May 13.

Simultaneously launching Operation 'Samudra Setu'( Sea Bridge), the Indian Navy dispatched two ships to Maldives capital Male to commence the first phase of the evacuation operations from May 8.

INS Jalashwa and INS Magar are en route to the Maldives to commence Phase 1 of evacuation ops, the Indian Navy said. 

A total of 1,000 people are planned to be evacuated in the first trip in naval ships, Navy said. The evacuated people will disembark in Kochi, it added.

The government also issued a standard operating protocol (SOP) for the return of the stranded Indians.

In an order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said priority will be given to compelling cases in distress including migrant workers, labourers who have been laid off and those faced with expiry of short term visas.

Persons with medical emergency, pregnant women, elderly, those required to return to India due to death of family member, and students will also be given preference, the home ministry said.

"As per information available, many Indian Nationals who had travelled to different countries before the lockdown, on various purposes such as employment, studies/ internships, tourism, business, etc, are stranded abroad. Due to their prolonged stay abroad, they are facing distress and are desirous of returning to India urgently. Apart from the above cases, there are other Indian Nationals who need to visit India in medical emergencies or death of a family member," the Home Ministry said. 

The government on Monday announced that it will facilitate the return of Indian nationals stranded abroad due to suspension of international flights amid the lockdown over the coronavirus. 

Medical screening of passengers would be done before taking the flight and only asymptomatic passengers would be allowed to travel. 

On reaching the destination, everyone would have to register on the Aarogya Setu app, and they would be medically screened.  

After scrutiny, they would be quarantined for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional quarantine on payment-basis, by the concerned state government.  

COVID-19 test would be done after 14 days and further action would be taken according to health protocols, the home ministry said.

State governments are being advised to make arrangements, including for testing, quarantine and onward movement of the returning Indians in their respective states, the MHA said.