The whole world is witnessing the situation of war and bombarding in the midst of air filled with viruses. On the one side the countries are attempting to lose the clench of coronavirus and return to their normal lives. On the flip side Ukraine is wrestling to safeguard its citizens from warfare and military strikes of Russia. The circumstances in Ukraine are getting intense every day since the inception of Russia’s attack. Meanwhile, India is standing at a neutral position not leaning towards any of the nations, due to which Indians are not much concerned about this war. But at this point of time I believe that situation is going to be worrisome for Indians’ future if they cudgel their brain. With the future here I mean to discuss the students who have been incarcerated in Ukraine, especially medical students. Medical department in the whole world is treated as the most noble profession and even they are considered next to the Almighty. Presently, the most noble profession of the country where the Constitution is supreme is in a state of precariousness. This constitutional supremacy even accord them with special rights to their citizens i.e. right to education which seems most sidelined right this time. The whole chaotic situation will egregiously stir the Indians for which they don’t have any clue at this point of time, as they are grappling with the safety of their children, completely sidelining another aspect. Have you ever thought what will happen to the degrees of that 20,000 students if Ukraine’s identity vanishes? The biggest question in today’s time for Indians is that why students of India have to go to other nations to pursue their course? Let’s discuss this in detail.
UNLEASHING THE HARSH REALITY OF INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
In India for the admittance in medical it is to be assured that the student qualifies National Entrance Cum Eligibility Test (NEET). The one who acquires certification from this examination, gets an opportunity to study in government run institutes of India. So the prominent question comes here that when India has the arrangement, why do students go abroad? The answer for the same is the lower number of seats in government colleges. There are approximately 84,000 seats against which around 15 lakhs students attempt the exam. The less number of seats as compared to the number of students is trammeling the education system and is responsible for rejecting more than 12 lakh students every year from pursuing their dream course of MBBS. Though we have other branches of medical domains such as BDS, BHMS, and AYUSH which gives a little edge in escalating seats but the most favored course is MBBS. Apart from these government institutes, more than 200 institutes are running with private affiliation and providing benchmark studies. But the issue with private institutes is their hefty charges which goes around 50 lakhs to 1 crore for completing the degree of MBBS.
So, when a student is left with no choice of getting admission in a government institute and doesn’t have the capability to pay such hefty charges, they choose different nations which comparatively charge less for the same. Among all the preferred choices Ukraine is the cheapest and favoured destination for Indian students. In Ukraine it takes around 30-40 lakhs to complete MBBS. Therefore, it has to be comprehended that if the roots of the Gordian Knot will not be captured now then there will be a time when half of the Indian population would be found abroad and would be facing the repercussions similarly the Ukraine students are presently confronting. Now before delving into details it is of prime importance to discuss the repercussions in detail.
STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMME: A MENACE FOR INDIANS IN AN UNPREDICTABLE WORLD
The Ukraine crisis is not a pioneer event which has screwed up the circumstances but before as well a study abroad program has been confronted with the ripple effect. For instance in 2019 the same was distressed with the advent of COVID-19 in China and students came back to their country, that time also evacuation was challenged. The first and foremost concern associated with this study abroad programme is the security and safety of the students in the unprecedented world. The second significant concern is their future which is called into question. As when the students went to the countries like Ukraine or China their position with their incomplete degree becomes dubious in their own nation. For instance, if in the present crisis Ukraine lost its identity what will happen to the students who have not completed their degrees yet? Or who are in their penultimate years? Will India be able to accept? There are ample questions being popped in front of the luminaries associated with the same. As far as people’s uproar is concerned, India should accommodate these students in Indian medical colleges, but this can’t be considered. As in a country like India where a student is supposed to go through a rigorous battle to secure admission to Indian Medical colleges, accommodating these students has legal and societal reverberations.
Legal & Societal Implications: A wire trapping the accommodation process
India is a country which follows a merit based selection system. This merit based criteria is decided by the NMC i.e., National Medical Council. The students who used to study abroad but establish themselves in India have to undergo two phases of tests which verify their knowledge in the Indian context. This merit based criteria is a stumbling block in accommodating the students returning from Ukraine. For instance, if we take the current Ukraine crisis as an example then students returning from Ukraine are not satisfying the meritorious criteria to get admitted in Indian Medical Colleges. If the Indian Government agrees also there will be a lot of legal challenges. Even the right to education is a fundamental right in India under Article 21 A. If the government accepts any condition then not only criteria will be violated but fundamental rights of other students who have rigorously worked hard to secure admission in these medical colleges. Therefore, it has to be assured that no rights should be violated and these muddled circumstances must be dealt with cautious hand targeting the root cause.
SUGGESTIONS & CONCLUSION: A ROUTE TOWARDS HARMONIZATION
Figuring out the solution or suggestion for the problem which mankind has not even dreamt of is could be a little challenging. As at this point of time every nation and every individual is in a perplexing state and the most significant thing for them at this stage is the safety of life and their loved ones. Since 2019 the whole world is in the grip of COVID-19 and the state of chaos is similar even in 2022. But the present crisis of Ukraine is very serious and is creating alarm for the Indian government to immediately stop this study abroad programme. The rationale behind this programme is very simple that in India students are not getting ample opportunities. Now it is high time that the Ministry of Education should actively look into the matter and must come up with a strategy to balance the situation. In college admission the seat must be increased considering the proportion of population so that everyone can get an opportunity. Apart from this the government should also look into the matter of hefty charges charged by the private institutes in the country, though it is not a government body but it has to be regulated through the norms and standards setup by the Ministry of Education.