AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam on Tuesday, June 7, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to advise the National Medical Commission (NMC) to exempt students who returned from Ukraine from having to write NEET to join medical colleges in India.

"This condition is an obstacle for them to get admission to Indian medical colleges. I request you to advise the NMC to relax the relevant guidelines as a special case," Panneerselvam said in a letter to Modi. He also added that these students, who returned from Ukraine in March, are unable to continue their academics and in circumstances like these, the prime minister is their only hope.

"Of the 14,000 students who returned from Ukraine, 1,896 are from Tamil Nadu and their fate hangs in the balance. They have spent lakhs of rupees in the hope of becoming doctors," Panneerselvam wrote, adding that these students returned to India hoping that the Government of India will be able to make arrangements for them to pursue their studies right here in India. "Their parents are more worried... and believe the prime minister can find a solution," he stated.

Panneerselvam pointed out that the NMC has allowed Ukraine-returned MBBS students to complete their mandatory 12-month internship in India provided they have cleared the foreign medical graduate exam. This has reduced the number of affected students to about 12,000.

The AIADMK coordinator also recalled that Chief Minister MK Stalin, in March, urged the prime minister to let students who returned from Ukraine continue their studies in Indian medical colleges. However, after that, the Chief Minister did not exert pressure on the Union government to get favourable results, he added, and said this shows Stalin wrote the letter just as a formality.

"Parents also expect the Tamil Nadu government to take steps for the NMC to relax its rules to enable the students to continue their studies. So, the DMK government should do this immediately," Panneerselvam stated.