Caught in the crossfire: Medical students evacuated from Iran face academic uncertainty

With no structured policy for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) forced to return due to war or crisis, India’s patchwork response raises bigger questions

The fragility of global peace has been exposed time and again, in the recent history.

The latest one being the Iran–Israel war.

It all began in April 2025, when months of rising tension turned into open conflict.

Missile attacks, airstrikes, and complete diplomatic breakdown, turning tense standoffs into a full-scale war.

Let’s break down how this recent conflict disrupted the lives of Indian medical students—forcing emergency evacuations, halting education, and leaving their degrees in limbo.

The Iran–Israel conflict escalated when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iran’s key military and nuclear sites.

As the attacks grew, more than 1,500 Indian students in Iran were suddenly at risk.

The Indian government responded with Operation Sindhu and Operation Ajay to evacuate students and bring them back home.

While, these efforts ensured physical safety, the uncertainty lingers.

With campuses shut and clinical training halted, students remain anxious, unsure if they’ll return to their universities abroad or be allowed to continue medical training in India.

And that brings us to a much larger, long-standing problem, India’s approach to Foreign Medical Graduates, or FMGs.

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