https://countercurrents.org/2022/07/ukraine-war-a-rock-and-a-hard-place/ 

One of the collateral damages of the war in Ukraine is the future of Indian medical students who went to study there. The typical profile of the students was that they appeared for the National Entrance and Eligibility Test(NEET) which regulates admission to medical colleges in India. But their scores were not high enough to get them a government medical college or a college of their choice. Typically they would be able to secure admission to some private medical college with exorbitant fees and dubious infrastructure. A few never appeared for the exam and directly applied overseas.

The main reason for Indian students going abroad to pursue medical studies was the shortage of affordable seats in India. Going abroad – whether to Ukraine or elsewhere seemed a more cost-effective proposition. The cost of education was lower compared to most of the private Indian ones and then many had established reputations and branding. The fact that medical students who finished abroad had to clear a fairly tough exam before being allowed to practice abroad was not a deterrent. Numbers going to Ukraine rocketed after 2014 as Ukrainian universities actively recruited Indian students. The cost of study in a private medical college in India is about INR7 million (US$91,400). However, in countries like Ukraine, medical education costs about INR2 million (US$26,100).

One factor that is delaying a decision is that a decision regarding the Ukrainian students alone would open a can of worms. Over 40 thousand students, who had to return to India from China in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are also victims of unforeseen circumstances. Any move by the government to accommodate students returning from Ukraine will prompt these pandemic-affected students to demand parity. So, the number of students would cross 60,000 who deserve relief on compassionate grounds. This is as huge as 75% of the existing medical seats in India.

by  

27/07/2022