Ukraine Crisis: India examines medical education costs

After scores of Indian medical students evacuated from war-torn Ukraine, the Indian govt is working to make medical education affordable in the country.

The Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the issue of Indian medical students going abroad to study medical courses at a cheaper cost. There is a growing concern about the highly expensive medical education in India coupled with the reservation system that offers less opportunity to medical aspirants of India and they are left with no choice but to study abroad.

After Russia attacked Ukraine, thousands of Indians including the majority of medical students were found trapped in the troubled country. The government has evacuated these students from Ukraine but their future remains uncertain as their studies have been disrupted.

The state governments and opposition are all urging the government to take necessary measures so that these students can complete their studies and the government has also assured them that they will ponder over making the necessary arrangements.

50% seats in private medical colleges to charge at par with GMCs, said PM Modi

Naveen Shekharappa's death in Ukraine also raised the issue that medical education in India is unaffordable. His father had asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do something at least from now to make quality education affordable for all.

PM Modi had recently said that 50% of the seats in private medical colleges will be charged at par with the government medical colleges.

Last month, National Medical Commission (NMC) had issued guidelines stating that 50% of seats in the private medical college and deemed universities should be at par with the fee in the government medical college of that particular state & UT and later the official sources had revealed that this guideline will be implemented from the next academic session.

Maharashtra govt had also said that they will study fee structures for medical education in Ukraine and Russia and see if such facilities can be provided here and other leaders such as Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had also expressed concern over the high medical fees in India.

Read more:

• 50% seats in private medical colleges to be charged at par with GMCs: PM Modi
• Opposition urges govt to ensure Ukraine returned students complete courses
• NMC guidelines for 50% seats in private medical colleges to implement from next session
• Quality medical education must be provided at affordable cost: Naveen's father to PM Modi