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Updated: Apr 26, 2020 15:02 IST

At least 376 students from the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh who were stranded in Rajasthan’s Kota amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus departed for home on Saturday, an official said.

One NEET aspirant from Kashmir’s Kupwara, Haris (19) said “We were stuck in Kota for the past one month due to which our parents back home were concerned. Now we are happy that we are returning home”. He thanked the Rajasthan government, Jammu and Kashmir government and their coaching institute in Kota for facilitating the students’ return.

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Another NEET aspirant from Kupwara, Ghazi Rasool Batt said “I am relieved on returning home in this Covid-19 crisis”. Sharing his experience on the problems they faced during the lockdown, he said “there was much difference between the food they received prior to and after the lockdown.”

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Since many students from the valley are observing Ramadan fast, they were provided meals by the Allen Career Institute of Kota.

The 14 buses that left from Kota on Saturday carrying the students will cover a distance of around 1000 km to reach the valley.

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“Over 20,000 students from Kota have already returned to their states in buses including those from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Daman and Diu, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh,” Divisional Commissioner, Kota, LN Soni said.