Karnataka: As Ukraine war continues, students stare at uncertain future

Team Udayavani, Aug 1, 2022, 12:33 PM IST

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Bengaluru: It has been five months since students returned from war-torn Ukraine. However, their future is bleak because due to several pending issues about continuing their education.

The majority of the students want to return to Ukraine and further their education. However, because the war is still going on, they are unsure of the next step to take.

In Karnataka alone, there are about 650 Ukrainian-returned medical students. The students continued their studies online and appeared for their second, fourth, and sixth-semester exams online in April/May this year. Centers were opened at JSS College in Mysuru, KLE in Belagavi, and other medical colleges for their practical examinations.

Now, Kharkiv University has told students that courses will be held offline.

However, parents are reluctant to send their children back as the war has not stopped. Instead, they are in search of possibilities where the students can complete their courses in India or abroad except in Ukraine.

Dr B.L. Sujatha Rathore, Director of Medical Education in Karnataka, said that there has been no directive from the National Medical Council (NMC) so far about allowing Ukaraine-returned medical students to pursue their studies in India. NMC has the authority to decide on the matters and the Department of Medical Education can only act on NMC’s directions, she added.

As there is still no clear direction from the government, many students are looking for alternatives. Many among them have started preparing for NEET examination in hopes of getting admission in Indian Universities. Some have abandoned their medical studies in favor of engineering, law degree, and other professional courses.

So far, the students who have returned have believed that the union government will assist them in some way. Now that the government has abandoned them, they must fend for themselves.