Although the Supreme Court had directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to frame necessary provisions for accommodating students who have returned from Ukraine by June 29, in Indian medical colleges, the decision has not yet been announced. Students and parents said that they haven’t received any response.
Many Indian students who were pursuing medical education in Ukraine had to flee the war-torn country after Russia escalated its invasion of the East-European country. Students said that it is not safe for them to go back and they want to continue education there.
More than 100 MBBS students and their parents had earlier staged a protest in front of the NMC in Delhi on Friday, June 24, and urged them to provide students with admission to institutions in the country to prevent further academic loss. Students had also organised a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, June 26, demanding that they should be given admission to the country's medical colleges as a one time-measure.
However, there has been no response from NMC yet. “We are eagerly waiting for the official notice from past three months but we haven’t heard anything,” said Trisha Sagar, a second-year MBBS student. While they wait for an official declaration, parents and students are planning their next steps. “Our next step is to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) at the Supreme Court. After that we plan on going on a hunger strike from July 10 or 12. It will either be 15 days or one month long,” said RB Gupta, President of the Parents' Association of Ukraine MBBS Students, India.
It may be recalled that a PIL had earlier been filed in the Supreme Court in March, seeking action on the same issue. The plea also sought directions to the Centre to provide a medical subject equivalency orientation programme for such students.
