Centre’s reply sought on plea by Indian medical students enrolled in China

Over 140 medical students studying in a Chinese university had returned to India in early 2020 but could not go back since then due to travel restrictions. 

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice the Centre and the National Medical Commission seeking their reply on a plea to allow more than 140 medical students studying in Chinese universities to undertake practical training in India as they have been unable to return to their university owing to travel restrictions.  

A Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Ministry of Law & Justice, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Health and the Commission on the petition which also seeks recognition of the students’ online classes while asking the respondents to look into the issue as the petitioners are “students not terrorists”. 

The 147 petitioners who are students of medicine in the Ningbo University in China informed the court that they had returned to India in early 2020 but have not been able to go back since then as China is not issuing student visas. 

Next hearing on March 21

The petitioners contended that their future is at stake as they are “neither being allowed to attain physical training/ internships/ clerkships in India by the NMC, nor are any clarifications being provided by the authorities regarding the approval to the online theory classes attended by them”. The matter will be heard next on March 21. 

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