Parties in power in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have urged the Union government to allow medical students returning from Ukraine to continue their education in Indian colleges, but medical bodies in Tamil Nadu and Kerala have voiced concerns against the suggested move.
While the Indian Medical Association (IMA) at the national level also urged the Union government to accommodate students from Ukraine in Indian colleges as a one-time measure, IMA Kerala as well as the Tamil Nadu State Medical Council have objected to the move. Both organisations have said that doing so would be unfair to candidates who qualified through NEET with better scores but couldn’t pursue a medical education, as well as students from China and the Philippines who have been unable to return to their universities for over two years due to the pandemic.
IMA Kerala president Dr Samuel Koshy pointed out it would be difficult for medical colleges in India to take in such a large number of students, and it could affect the education of the rest of the students as well. “Indian medical colleges are saturated with students, and the facilities in some of the medical colleges are already inadequate. If so many students are admitted, we fear that the standards of education will be further affected. Even as a one-time measure, it could affect doctors in training, it could affect society,” he said.
The Tamil Nadu State Medical Council (TNSMC) has also objected to the proposal. Dr K Senthil, president of the Tamil Nadu State Medical Council, pointed out that such a transfer from Ukrainian to Indian medical colleges, as per existing guidelines of the National Medical Council (NMC) is not allowed. “There is no provision for students to be admitted just like that, which is the issue we have raised. As per latest NMC rules, even transfers between medical colleges with India have been stopped,” he said.
Another concern that the IMA Kerala has raised is that of students who are studying in China and the Philippines, whose studies have also been interrupted. “Medical students from China are in a similar uncertain situation due to COVID-19. Why should Ukraine students have a better option than them?” Dr Koshy asked.
Dr Senthil echoed the argument and said that many students from China and the Philippines have been attending online classes without practical training. “Indian authorities must help them get a visa and let them return to their colleges in China and the Philippines. But if we accept students from Ukraine in Indian colleges, students from other countries will also ask to be allowed,” he said.
The IMA and TNSMC have also said that the move would be unfair to those who scored better than these students in NEET, but were unable to pursue MBBS as they couldn’t gain admission in Indian government colleges, or afford the fees in Indian private colleges or foreign universities. “People who had a better ranking didn’t get those opportunities, so admitting students who returned from Ukraine and China might be unfair to them,” Dr Koshy said.
Dr Senthil of Tamil Nadu Medical Council also said that such candidates with higher NEET scores who couldn’t afford to study abroad would have moved on to other courses like nursing or other subjects. “Just because these people could afford it, it is not justifiable to let down other candidates. Many of the students would’ve lost a seat in a government college by a fraction of marks,” he said.
IMA Tamil Nadu president Dr R Palaniswamy noted that while the state unit is thinking along similar lines to that of national IMA, there are many hurdles to accepting the returning students into Indian colleges. “There are many issues to be rectified before admitting these students in India. NMC has a clause that students studying abroad cannot be taken into Indian colleges. Even abroad, students going from India are not allowed to change their university midway. If they want to help these students continue their studies in India or even abroad in countries other than Ukraine, the Union government and NMC would have to make amendments to these clauses,” he observed.
According to Dr Senthil, a better way for the government to support the students would be to help them go back to their respective countries — in the case of China and the Philippines. “In Ukraine we have to wait for a few months, and if they can go back, we have to facilitate that. Or in case other countries’ rules permit them to get admitted, like Russia, Poland, Hungary, etc., the NMC can give those permissions at the most, by amending its rules,” he said.
Dr Palaniswamy says that the government could aid students by giving them concessions on their loans — by postponing payment or reducing the interest. IMA Tamil Nadu and a few other branches have been providing guidance to students who have come back from Ukraine, he said. “Many of them might be depressed and worried as they don’t know what the future holds. Some branches have started giving free training to these students and trying to support them,” he said, adding that some Ukraine universities have even resumed online classes.
The government and students must wait a little longer to observe the situation in Ukraine, and meanwhile evaluate the pros and cons of different solutions, Dr Senthil said. “Maybe the situation will improve soon. In a war situation, the priority must be to save our citizens and help them return safely, not to reward them by making such exceptions … Even if they want to stay back in India and switch to different courses other than MBBS, there shouldn’t be any concession. They can be given a chance based on merit alone,” he added.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the present situation in Ukraine had already disrupted the education of students, and urged the Prime Minister to find a way out to enable them to continue their studies in Indian medical colleges from the stage at which their studies in Ukraine were disrupted. On Monday, March 14, YSRCP parliamentary party leader V Vijayasai Reddy raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, and urged the Union government to provide admission to students returning from Ukraine in Indian colleges.
On Tuesday, March 15, Telangana Chief Minister KCR also raised the issue in the Assembly. He said that over 700 MBBS students had returned to Telangana from Ukraine, and declared that the Telangana government will bear the cost of their education and let them study in India. “We will not let them discontinue their education or let their future be affected,” he said, adding that the Telangana government would write to the Union government over the issue.