Create portal to assist medicos back from Ukraine: Supreme Court to govt

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, September 16

Noting that India cannot accommodate 20,000 medical students, who were forced to flee Ukraine due to the Russian invasion, the Supreme Court on Friday said the government could use its resources to help them choose compatible foreign universities to further pursue their education.

Give them options

The government has resources to find out which countries have so many seats. Give them options…develop a transparent system. Bench

A Bench led by Justice Hemant Gupta suggested that the Central Government should create a portal containing details of foreign universities where these students could complete their education in terms of the academic mobility programme of the National Medical Commission (NMC).

Asking the Centre to develop a mechanism to enable students to choose other compatible foreign universities, the Bench said, “It’s better to have a transparent system.

The Government of India has resources to find out which countries have so many seats. Give them options, transparent options. You develop a portal. Develop a transparent system”, the Bench said.

The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 23 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said he would revert to the court after taking instructions from the government.

During the hearing on petitions filed by Indian medical students evacuated from Ukraine, who are seeking permission to continue their further studies in India, Mehta said the government had collaborated with other countries to send Ukraine-returned students in their first, second or third year to complete their studies there.

As the petitioners’ counsel said the Centre should declare the Ukraine-returned students as “war victims” and extend them relief applicable to them under the Geneva Convention, the Bench rejected their submission.

In an affidavit filed in the top court, the Centre had earlier said Indian medical students forced to return from Ukraine could not be given admission to Indian medical colleges in the absence of any provision in the NMC Act.

Maintaining that the petitioner students went to foreign countries due to poor NEET ranking and affordability, the Centre said allowing poor merit students in premier medical colleges in India could lead to further litigation.