Plea in HC for allowing medical students returned from Ukraine to continue education in Indian colleges

NEW DELHI: A petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Centre to facilitate the continuation of studies of Indian medical students who have returned from war-hit Ukraine in domestic colleges. The petition by Pravasi Legal Cell, likely to be listed for hearing on March 21, has demanded that the central government should permit such students to complete their education in Indian medical colleges as an emergency and one-time measure.

The petition has submitted that presently, there are no norms and regulations in place to accommodate these rescued medical students in Indian medical colleges and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine has the potential of disrupting the careers of Indian students who have already gone through the trauma of being in the war zone.

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“There are around 20,000 Indian students who were studying in Ukraine, and in the present situation, there is no end in sight to the miseries of such students making their life uncertain,” the petition filed through lawyer M P Srivignesh said. “Issue a direction to the Respondents (Centre and National Medical Commission) to take appropriate steps to enable and facilitate continuance of studies for Indian medical students in the medical colleges in India from the stage from which their studies in Ukraine have been disrupted on account of the war,” the petition has prayed.

It said that such a one-time exception for war-affected Indian students is not only in consonance with India's Constitution, which guarantees the right to life, justice, equity and fair play, but also goes well with the ideals of India as a true welfare state. “Right to Life under Article 21 which should mean and include the right to access and continuance to medical education in India by students of India who are forced to leave their medical education abroad due to present scenario,” the petition has stated.

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The petitioner, which claims to be an organisation working for the welfare of the migrants, said that no action has been taken on its representation by the authorities till now.