On Monday, the Supreme Court in the case Archita and others versus National Medical Commission and others observed and has adjourned a batch of petitions filed seeking the relief of allowing nearly 20,000 Indian students who had to return from Ukraine due to Russian attack to complete their medical education in India, to 15th September, 2022.
The present matter was heard by the bench comprising of Justice Hemant Gupta and the Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia.
Before the Court, the request for adjournment was placed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who stated that “Your lordships have referred to the committee of External Affairs and the same seems they have taken a favourable view. Thus, I need to get instructions from the Ministry.”
The court observed that the petitioner relied upon the report submitted by the Lok Sabha Committee on External Affairs on August 3 in which it recommended the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to consider accommodating the students who returned from Ukraine in Indian private medical colleges as a one-time measure. However, in view of the said recommendations the appropriate decisions from Government of India and the National Medical Commission in respect of students from Ukraine are sought by the petitioner.
During the previous hearing, it was recorded by the court in the order the recommendation made by the Lok Sabha Committee.
In the last hearing on the matter, the bench enquired about the policy framed by the Government of India pursuant to the earlier directions passed the Court to frame a scheme for students who could not complete their foreign medical education due to the pandemic. Further, the bench was informed that students, who have completed their courses but could not complete internship in foreign countries like China, have been allowed to do the same here and in the case of Ukraine students, not all of them are in the final year.
Accordingly, the bench will now hear the matter on 15th September.