India in talks with Ukraine's neighbours for continuation of medical studies of evacuated Indian students

The minister noted that ministries of both health and education were seized of the matter and are looking at the different ways in which students can ensure continuation of their medical education
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar | (Pic: Edexlive)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar | (Pic: Edexlive)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed on Wednesday, April 7, that India is in talks with Hungary, Romania, Kazakhstan and Poland and other countries for the continuation of education of those Indian students who have been evacuated from war-torn Ukraine.

It was in response to a question regarding the situation in Ukraine that came up in the Lok Sabha that the minister had shared how the Government of Ukraine has offered relaxation to students for two main exams in their medical education courses, as per a report in PTI.  

It was the decision of the Ukrainian government that there would be a relaxation for students with regards to promotion from the third year to the fourth year.  

"The mandatory CROC exam has been postponed to the next academic year. As for the students in the sixth year, the degrees would be accorded without taking the mandatory CROC-2 examination. The criterion would solely be academic performance," Jaishankar informed the House, as quoted in a report by PTI.

Hungary had offered to permit Indian students who returned from Ukraine to continue their education in medicine via their universities, the minister shared. There are offers from other countries as well and they are in touch with Hungary, Romania, Kazakhstan and Poland as these counties have education systems that are similar, he informed. 

The minister noted that the ministries of both health and education were seized of the matter and are looking at the different ways in which students can ensure the continuation of their medical education. 

The minister also shared how the Ministry of Finance has asked banks to study the impact of the Ukraine crisis on the education loans that were given by them to students in Ukraine.

"There are 1,319 students who have outstanding loans," he said.

The minister, in response to the issues that were brought up by members during the discussion, informed that a few students chose to stay back as they reasoned that returning would disrupt their education.

He also informed that at the time, online education was not an option for many of those universities, in fact, a university in Kyiv had said it cannot convert to the online mode of education.

"There was one in Odessa which said we can conduct online classes till February 25 only. A university in Kharkiv — the embassy kept calling them and even sent someone to meet — they were not willing to meet," he said. 

When it comes to reports that were coming in back then about Russia deciding to withdraw some of its troops, the minister informed that when he checked with Ukraine personally, they were asking students to keep calm as they were under control of things. It is this signalling that had placed students in a quandary.

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