A damning video circulating on social media has exposed the disturbing reality faced by hundreds of Indian medical students at Bashkir State Medical University in Ufa, Russia. The footage shows university officials and Indian Embassy representatives in a tense meeting, with students alleging a systematic scheme to exploit and expel Indian students for financial gain.
The numbers game
According to Dr Kaushal, Media Coordinator of the All FMGs Association, who spoke exclusively to EdexLive, the university's official capacity is approximately 200 seats for Indian students. However, the institution has reportedly been admitting between 1,000 - 1,200 students annually — a staggering six times their official quota.
"The university is admitting far more Indian students than its official quota," Dr Kaushal revealed. "They are reportedly admitting 1,000-1,200 students each year. Many students are then deliberately failed under questionable pretexts."
Students speak out
Several affected students, who wish to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation, have come forward with harrowing accounts of systematic exploitation. Their testimonies paint a picture of deliberate harassment and financial exploitation.
One student described the harsh reality: "The university admitted too many students, around 1,200-1,300, solely to collect fees. They are now expelling students for missing only a few classes, despite having taken their money. Living in hostels located 10-15 kilometres from the university creates significant challenges. Students must travel for an hour in minus 20 degrees Celsius and are marked absent if they arrive even five minutes late due to bus delays."
The systematic nature of the exploitation becomes evident when examining the attendance policies.
Teachers reportedly mark students absent arbitrarily, regardless of their actual presence in class. The rework system, where students must compensate for missed classes, has transformed into a tool of harassment.
Academic sabotage and cultural discrimination
Perhaps most disturbing are the accounts of racism and cultural discrimination embedded within the academic system. According to student testimonies, "Racism presents a significant problem. Some teachers deliberately fail Indian students and dismiss our concerns. They claim we should be grateful for the opportunity to study in their universities, consistently mock our Indian identity, and sometimes use offensive language."
The language barrier compounds these difficulties. Despite promises of English instruction, students report that "most are required to study and answer in Russian after the fourth year," leaving many struggling with both academic content and communication barriers.
Trapped by regulatory constraints
The students find themselves ensnared in a perfect trap.
India's National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines, implemented in 2021, prevent students from transferring to a different university mid-course. As one student explained: "Because Indian students cannot transfer according to NMC rules, we must repeat years, which increases our financial burden. The university exploits this situation and uses us to generate revenue unfairly."
This regulatory restriction has become a weapon wielded by exploitative institutions. Students who have invested years and substantial financial resources find themselves with no viable escape route.
A network of corruption and intimidation
The investigation reveals a sophisticated network of corruption involving both Russian officials and Indian intermediaries. Students claim that certain senior Indian students function as intermediaries (the most common name that came up in all the conversations was the student named 'Zeeshan') for the university administration, facilitating the exploitation of their junior counterparts.
One female student, who was ultimately forced to leave the university, claimed that she was subjected to systematic harassment: "One of my roommates consistently created issues with everyone. She began targeting me throughout, provoking me without reason and verbally abusing me in front of other roommates. She made vulgar comments about me and assassinated my character publicly, yet I remained silent as she held seniority and authority."
The student further revealed: "Her associate works in the dean's office with other teachers and possesses authority over other students, harassing many under the guise of dean's office punishment. This is why no one challenges them."
Living under constant threat
The psychological toll on students is severe.
One student reflected on three years of constant stress: "I have spent three years in this university and have never experienced a single peaceful night's sleep. I have not watched a single movie since arriving here, not even a single episode of a web series. I have never explored Russia, despite being here for three years, and have missed evening walks, gym sessions, and extracurricular activities. All my time was consumed by the daily complications created by this university."
Students report being forced to perform unpaid labour like, "cleaning hospitals and hostels despite paying for these services." The threat of expulsion looms constantly, with administrators reportedly threatening students with expulsion simply for asking questions.
Financial fraud and administrative complicity
The corruption extends far beyond academic matters. Students revealed a shocking currency exchange scandal where "a student collected approximately one crore rupees from fellow students for currency exchange. He subsequently lost the money in cryptocurrency trading, leaving all students who had given their fee money with nothing."
Most alarmingly, they claimed, "The dean's office facilitated that student's escape from the country. He departed the next day and was never found again. The dean's office assisted his escape because our migration cards were submitted to the university. A migration card is required to exit the Russian Federation. Without the involvement of the dean and other officials, his escape would have been impossible."
Systematic examination sabotage
Perhaps the most cruel aspect of the exploitation involves examination access.
Students report: "After collecting full fees for the third year, students were prohibited from taking third-year examinations. This represents the most severe injustice. We studied throughout the year and dedicated our entire academic year to preparation. We could have enjoyed time with our families in India, but instead studied diligently for examinations that we were ultimately denied."
The lack of communication exacerbates the situation: "The dean's office never published final examination dates. They never informed us when deadlines would occur. There was a significant lack of information dissemination."
Urgent demands for reform
Despite the presence of Indian Embassy representatives in the viral video, students report minimal concrete action to address their grievances. University authorities continue their practices "even in their presence," according to Dr Kaushal.
The All FMGs Association has issued several critical demands:
NMC policy revision: Allow transfers for students facing extreme exploitation
Embassy action: Decisive intervention from the Indian Embassy in Russia
Institutional accountability: Issue formal notices to universities engaging in such practices
Dr Kaushal emphasised: "We urge the NMC to reconsider this policy and allow transfers for students facing such extreme conditions. We also request the Indian Embassy in Russia to intervene decisively and take concrete steps to prevent such abuse by foreign universities."
The human cost of exploitation
Beyond financial losses and academic setbacks, the human cost proves immeasurable. Students describe living in constant fear, facing racism, academic sabotage, and psychological harassment. Many have been coerced into signing "self-expulsion" documents to escape the toxic environment, effectively terminating their medical careers.
One student's anguish captures the broader tragedy: "All this stress was endured for an expulsion? I am unable to attempt my third-year examinations, for which I had studied extensively. This situation would provoke anger in anyone who found themselves in my position."
A system in crisis
This scandal highlights a critical gap in India's medical education system.
Many affected students "possessed good NEET-UG scores but could not secure government MBBS seats due to the limited number of government medical college seats in India. They chose to pursue their dreams abroad because the cost was significantly lower than that of private Indian medical colleges."
Now, when incidents like these come to light, it raises serious questions about the oversight of Indian students studying abroad and the adequacy of current regulations designed to protect them. With hundreds of students affected and their futures in jeopardy, immediate action from both Indian authorities and international education regulators appears urgently necessary.
The viral video from Bashkir State Medical University may have finally shed light on this systematic exploitation, but for the students trapped within this nightmare, time is running out. Their dreams of becoming doctors are being held hostage by a system that views them not as aspiring medical professionals, but as financial resources to be exploited until exhausted.
The testimonies reveal a coordinated effort to extract maximum financial benefit from Indian students while providing minimal educational value in return. This represents not just an educational crisis, but a humanitarian one that demands immediate and decisive action.
This investigation is based on exclusive interviews with affected students who requested anonymity, and statements from the All FMGs Association.