Give details of Ukraine-returned medicos who availed of academic mobility: SC to Centre

The Centre said it cannot accommodate the medical students studying in universities of Ukraine as it “would disrupt the entire medical education system” in India.

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to provide details of medical students from Ukraine who availed of its academic mobility programme under which they can complete their courses in universities or colleges of other countries. As per a report published in Free Press Journal, the Centre said it cannot accommodate the medical students studying in universities of Ukraine, who have returned to the country due to war there, in Indian medical institutes or universities as it "would disrupt the entire medical education system" here.  

File affidavit specifying details of medical students in third countries: SC

A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Vikram Nath asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, to file an affidavit specifying the details of the number of medical students who have been accommodated in third countries and how the scheme was progressing. Bhati said the Centre earlier filed its affidavit and had said that with the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs, the National Medical Council (NMC) issued a notice dated September 6 under which an academic mobility programme was launched under which the NMC would accept completion of their remaining courses in other countries (with the approval of parent university/institution in Ukraine). 

The top court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by undergraduate medical students of first to fourth-year batches in their respective foreign medical colleges/universities. These students are primarily seeking transfer to medical colleges in India in their respective semesters. Senior advocate Ajit Sinha, appearing for some of the students, said they are suffering for no fault of theirs and several states have said they are ready to accept these students. 

Medical education under NMC, can’t do anything: SC 

The bench said all these issues are in the expert domain and it cannot do anything as medical education is regulated by the NMC and the Centre has to take a call on accommodating them. Senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy, also appearing for a group of medical students, said it is a humanitarian issue and due to the lack of help from the government many medical students have to return to war-torn Ukraine. Senior advocate R Basant said the government cannot shy away from these students and has to come forward with the help. 

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