Ukraine-returned medical students can't be accommodated in Indian universities: Centre

Even as the future of Ukraine-returned medical students is in peril, the Centre asserted that they can't be accommodated in any Indian university as of now. Responding to an unstarred question by Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam on Tuesday, Union MoS Health Bharati Pawar stated that around 20,000 students returned from Ukraine amid the invasion of Russia. She also mentioned that the Indian Embassy in Kyiv has asked the concerned universities to provide transcripts and other documents in a smooth manner to students.

The Centre stated, "Foreign Medical Students/Graduates are either covered under "Screening Test Regulations, 2002" or "Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021. There are no such provisions in Indian Medical Council Act 1956 & National Medical Commission Act, 2019 as well as the Regulations to accommodate or transfer medical students from any foreign medical institutes to Indian medical colleges. No permission has been given by NMC to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute/university." 

Indians evacuated from Ukraine

At the outset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, India's priority was to ensure the safe evacuation of over 20,000 citizens stuck in the war-hit nation. Under the aegis of Operation Ganga, the Union government evacuated Indians who crossed the Ukraine border from Hungary, Poland, Romania, Moldova and Slovakia. While Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju and Gen (retd) VK Singh reached Hungary, Slovakia and Poland respectively, Jyotiraditya Scindia went to Romania and Moldova to coordinate the evacuation mission and extend assistance to the stranded nationals. 

Even though one Indian - Naveen, a 4th-year medical student at the Kharkiv National Medical University was killed in a Russian attack, the Centre managed to rescue about 22,500 citizens from Ukraine between February 1 to March 11. 90 evacuation flights including those run by the Indian Air Force and 6 airlines- Air Asia, Air India, Air India Express, Go First, Indigo and Spicejet. Moreover, the Union government bore the airfare for all flights under Operation Ganga. 

As the Russia-Ukraine war has continued, many political parties have begun to press the Centre for letting the Ukraine-returned medical students complete their courses in India. In a letter addressed to PM Modi on July 24, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin stated, "I would request you to direct the NMC and the Union Ministries concerned to initiate steps to bring in necessary amendments in the relevant Central Acts to enable these students to continue their studies in medical colleges in India". In the alternative, he urged the government to give the students the option of pursuing their education in other foreign universities.