The Indian Embassy has issued a second advisory this week for Indians to leave Ukraine “by all available means.” The situation is becoming increasingly more dangerous in Ukraine due to the war. There are thousands of Indian students here. Many are refusing to return to India primarily because their degrees are not recognized in India. This article is about the Indian Embassy’s second advisory this week for Indians to leave Ukraine due to dangerous circumstances caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
The embassy stated that “In continuation of the advisory issued by the embassy on October 19, 2022, all Indian citizens in Ukraine are advised to immediately leave Ukraine by available means. Several Indians left Ukraine when this advisory was issued.
The Indian embassy in Kyiv stated on Tuesday that “They may contact the embassy at the following numbers for any guidance or assistance if required to travel to the border: +380933559958, +380635917881, +380678745945. They may refer to the embassy website for avoidable options for border crossing,”
The advisory asks Indians to exit Ukraine via the country’s borders with Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova, Poland and Romania.
Why Indian Students go to Ukraine
Indian students go to Ukraine for MBBS degrees. Ukraine has become a targeted destination for Indian students over the course of about thirty years. Ukraine has thousands of Indian students. The majority of these students are looking to get MBBS degrees from the country.
Comparatively lower costs of medical degrees, the straightforward admission process and high number of private agents scouting for students for different kinds of offers have led to the rise of Indian students in Ukraine.
Additionally Ukraine gives students access to the European market. It has been part of the Bologna process since 2005. This enables mutual recognition of higher degrees and collaboration with European nations.
22,500 Indians who were primarily Indian medical students, were moved out of Ukraine between February and July. According to the Ministry of External affairs Ukraine has more Indian students (18,000) than Russia (16,500) and France (10,000).
Why Many Indian Students are Refusing to Return to India
As of now, the Indian government has made it clear that students who are studying for medicine degrees in Ukraine cannot transfer to Indian colleges. This makes it a difficult situation for medical students leaving the Ukraine to return to India.
Mos Health Dr. Bharti Pravin Pawar wrote to the Lok Sabha in July 2022 “There is no such provision in the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 as well as the regulations to accommodate of transfer medical students from any foreign medical institutes to Indian medical colleges.”
The Health Ministry also informed the Supreme Court of this situation on September 15.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has permitted Indian students to apply for the “academic mobility programme”. This permits students to finish their education in other countries worldwide. Many students however want to return to India and have already done this. It appears that other European countries seem to be offering lower quality degrees at higher costs.
Conditions in Ukraine
The two sets of advisories in a week by the Indian embassy are a response to the recent Kerch Bridge Attack on October 8th. Moscow has said that Kyiv is responsible for this attack. It has caused major upheaval in Russia. It was being used as a route to stock up supplies for Russian forces to various Ukrainian cities from Crimea.
Russia is planning to retailitate and plans to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and declare martial law in cities such as Kherson. Kherson has been annexed for nearly 8 months of the Russia-Ukraine war.
The world is tense over the situation with the Russia-Ukraine war. The instability, fear and upheaval caused by the war has been having major global ramifications. The lives and future of everyone in this region are in severe danger. Thousands of Indian medical students in the Ukraine are in limbo.
As we follow each development of this war with baited breath, let us hope that the region can return to safety sometime in the near future. May all the Indian students in Ukraine find their footing as soon as possible.
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It was sent on October 19th, 2022.
It was sent on October 25, 2022
The two sets of advisories in a week by the Indian embassy are a response to the recent Kerch Bridge Attack on October 8th.
22,500 Indians who were primarily Indian medical students, were moved out between February and July.
