Ukraine crisis: Plea in SC to allow medical students to continue education in India

Amid ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and the return of students from Ukraine, a public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking admission and continuation of studies within India by Indian medical students who were recently evacuated from Ukraine. The PIL sought directions to the Centre to provide a medical subject equivalency orientation programme for admitting them in the Indian curriculum, according to PTI report.

The plea filed by advocate Rana Sandeep Bussa and others said that their writ petition seeks to invoke the most salient fundamental right guaranteed under Article 21 - the protection of life and personal liberty.

Ever since the return of students from war-torn Ukraine, multiple petitions are being filed in high courts and the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre to facilitate the continuation of studies of Indian medical students who have returned from Ukraine in domestic colleges. A petition has also been filed by Pravasi Legal Cell before the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Centre in this regard.

The petition filed in the apex court says that the Union government has done a tremendous job in bringing Indian students back home but they are being deprived of their fundamental right to education.

It said the government has to step in and provide for the necessary integration of foreign medical students into the Indian medical curriculum.

“A lot of Indian students studying in Ukraine have been displaced from their medical universities and are forced to leave behind their medical courses in between and this war has caused the Indian medical students huge financial, mental, physical hardship including academic breakdown”, the plea said.

The plea said the National Medical Commission has allowed foreign medical graduates to complete their internship in India due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, "so in this backdrop, the government must consider the plight of these medical students.” 

(With inputs from agencies)