As security situation in Ukraine deteriorates, Indian medical students in a quandary again

Several Indian medical students who headed back to war-ravaged Ukraine last month to complete their studies are staring at grim uncertainties again. After Russian drones killed at least four people in an apartment building in Kyiv, the embassy of India in the Ukrainian capital issued a fresh advisory asking Indian nationals to leave the country in view of the deteriorating security situation. 

"The Indian citizens, including students, currently in Ukraine are advised to leave Ukraine at the earliest by available means," the advisory dated October 19 noted, recalling the urgency of similar circulars at the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in February-March this year.  

While back in India, several Ukraine-returned medical students taking online classes are amping up calls to accommodate them in Indian medical colleges. In an affidavit last month, the Centre had stated that the National Medical Council cannot give permission to accommodate or transfer foreign medical students in relevant Indian colleges or universities as no such facilitating provisions exist in the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 or the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. It has also pointed out the "poor merit" of medical students to apply to colleges in other countries like Ukraine. The affidavit said, “It is humbly submitted that in case these students with poor merit are allowed admission in premier medical colleges in India by default, there may be several litigations from those desirous candidates who could not get seats in these colleges and have taken admission in either lesser known colleges or have been deprived of a seat in medical colleges." 

Instead, NMC had issued a list of countries in Europe where the Ukraine-returned students could seek transfer to complete their medical degree education. 

"Students don't want to go to different countries. But this is what the central government is proposing instead of accommodating them in India. The neighbouring countries' universities suggested in the NMC list should have tie-ups with the Ukrainian universities for the transfer to work. It's not possible to forge tie-ups on such short notice and with what Ukraine is going through right now," says Ashwarya Sinha, advocate-on-record for Indian medical students in Ukraine. He had filed a petition seeking accommodation of Ukraine-returned medical students in India in September. 

"Secondly, the medium of education in those neighbouring countries is not English or the local language Indian students were already used to in Ukraine," says Sinha, adding that 1st to 4th year medical students, between 10,000- 12,000 in number, are most affected by the situation. These students are now taking online classes of their respective Ukrainian universities from India. But again, NMC does not recognise online courses. 

"There is a hearing on November 1 in the Supreme Court where the Centre will file a fresh affidavit to come up with better suggestions. We are hoping that at least this time they recognize the online classes of  first, second and third years where the practical component is not there. That will at least be a first step in offering these students some respite," says Sinha. It is in their fourth year that most students start taking practical classes when it is not possible to learn anything online in medical degrees. 

"It's a great crisis. Students just don't know where to go now. They can't stay in India. Their online classes are not recognized. They can't go to other countries. There are no permissions for mobility or transfers. And again some students are stuck in Ukraine," says a harried Gajraj Singh Yadav. assistant professor of biochemistry at Raipur Institute of Medical Sciences. His son Aryan Raj is a second-year student at Uzhhorod Medical University in Ukraine. "Pakistan has accepted their medical students. So has Nigeria. Why can't India too?"