Plea before SC seeking directions for the fate of Ukraine-returned medical students
Nearly 20,000 medical students face an uncertain future
New Delhi, March 13 (Delhi Crown): Even as the future of Ukraine-returned medical students continues to be uncertain, and no clear guidelines from the Central Government yet, a petition has moved before the Supreme Court seeking directions in respect of admission and continuation of their medical courses in Indian Colleges and Universities for such students.
Amid Russia-Ukraine war thousands of medical students from across the country have been evacuated under “Operation Ganga” over the past two weeks.
Their studies remain at a high degree of uncertainty even as the war goes on, and there are utterly bleak chances for Ukraine medical colleges to resume regular classes in near future.
The petition before the SC states that the need of the hour for the Central Government was to “step in” and provide for necessary integration of these “foreign medical students” into the Indian medical curriculum.
Relief has also been sought for providing medical subject equivalency orientation program for admitting them into the Indian curriculum.
“It has to be taken into consideration that National Medical Commission has allowed Foreign Medical Graduates to Complete their Internship in India due to the on-going war between Ukraine and Russia, so in this backdrop the Government must consider the plight of the medical students who were forced to flee for their lives leaving behind their Medical Education in between and returned back to India because of the ongoing war,” states the petition.
Petitioners averred in the petition that the Central Government needs to consider their plight even as no prospects available for them in near future to go back, study and complete their medical education course back in Ukraine.
“Even private institutions like MIT Group of Institutions from Maharashtra have come forward in offering seats for Indian medical students returning from war torn country of Ukraine,” the petition states.
“The abrupt halt in their education is affecting the fundamental rights of almost 20,000 Indian medical students, particularly the Right to Life & Right to Equality. Once the students are returning back to India their prospects are bleak and poor. In this dire situation it is the duty of the Central and State Government to come forward and extend an helping hand to the students and their families,” plea also states.