It appears that the ordeal of Ukraine-returned Indian medical students has come to an end at last. The petitions filed in the Supreme Court, seeking solutions for the medicos to continue their education, were dismissed by a bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath on March 28. Though some students feel let down, the court's verdict does address a part of the issue, says a concerned parent.
More than 18,000 students had been demanding for a long that they are accommodated in Indian medical colleges so as to finish their education and training. However, the Centre was not ready to comply and invited petitions against its stand. During the hearing of the said petitions, the Centre mentioned that it had constituted a committee to chalk out a solution. Based on the recommendations of this committee, foreign medical students in their penultimate year will now have to write an MBBS equivalent exam as a one-time measure to obtain a medical degree in India.
RB Gupta, President of Parents Association of Ukraine Medical Students (PAUMS) has been receiving queries from students regarding the court's order. "Students are now divided into two categories - those who went back to Ukraine and those who remained at home. The verdict especially applies to those who stayed back," he explains.
He clarifies that students who did not appear for the KROK 2 exam and completed their penultimate year online from home, would have to appear for the MBBS equivalent exam. It will be conducted by the Centre in two parts 1 and 2, consisting of both practical and theoretical sections. After clearing this exam, students have to undergo two years of compulsory rotatory internship (CMRI). However, students who are in Ukraine can appear for the KROK exam there and only undergo CMRI in India.
"The solution is not what we wished for. Accommodation in Indian colleges or at least some arrangement for the students to attend lectures there would have aided our students," Gupta says. All the same, he asks the students to study well for the MBBS equivalent exam.
The problem, though, is not completely solved. "The Centre didn't extend the provision of the exam to the 2nd to 5th-year students. These students also won't be easily able to take a transfer," the President said. He added that a solution might be sought again from the Centre next year.