Centre should relax norms to address study concerns of evacuated students from Ukraine, demands BJD

By Amit Kumar
New Delhi [India], March 5 : Biju Janta Dal (BJD) has sought the intervention of the Central government to the concerns of the medical students who have been evacuated from Ukraine, including allowing them to pursue courses in Indian institutions by relaxing the norms.
The BJD Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Prasanna Acharya in a letter to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has called for finding suitable solutions to facilitate the continuation of medical education of the Indian students who have left Ukraine.
In the letter, Acharya complimented the efforts of the Prime Minister of India for the efforts to evacuate the Indian citizens, most of whom are students from war-torn Ukraine.
"Some more students are stranded in some places whom I hope the Central government would be able to bring back home safely," said Acharya.
The MP further expressed his concern about the medical students of Odisha. "There are a good number of students from Odisha who are pursuing medical education in Ukraine. The Chief Minister of Odisha Navin Patnaik has also in the meantime spoken to the Home Minister Amit Shah and the Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar for the safe evacuation of Odia students," he added in the letter.
The MP further states that the State Government has also taken several measures, including deputing four officials to coordinate and overlook the safe travel requirements of students of Odisha. But everybody, including parents and family members of the Indian students, who were studying in Ukraine, is very much concerned about their educational future, he added.
"As you are aware that most of the Indian students in Ukraine are pursuing medical education. Many of them are in their final years while many of them are in the middle of their courses and some students were admitted to various medical Universities in Ukraine very recently. In the prevailing situation in Ukraine, studies of the students have been affected," he added in the letter.
The BJD MP also stated that the future of such students will be "doomed" unless and until the union government and the Health Ministry in particular take some immediate measures.
"I would therefore humbly suggest that the Indian government should seriously ponder for an immediate alternative arrangement for such students who were forced to abandon their studies midway. All arrangements should be made for their entry into various medical colleges in the country, even by relaxing the prevalent rules and guidelines if necessary."
The BJD MP also urged the Centre to analyze the reasons why Indian students have to go to Ukraine for medical education in large numbers.
"Is it because the number of medical seats in India is limited? Expenses for medical education in India are so high in comparison to other countries like Ukraine, making it unaffordable for the middle-class Indian parents," the BJD MP added.