Accommodate Ukraine Returnee Medicos in Indian Medical Colleges: Mamata to PM

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to accommodate the medical students who returned from Ukraine to Indian colleges. Banerjee, who met students who came back to West Bengal from the war-torn country, urged the PM to relax the norms for them as it is an "extraordinary situation".

In her letter to the prime minister, she put forth several suggestions including allowing eligible students to undergo internships in government medical colleges. "For other students…, they may be allowed to get admitted at the equivalent level in private medical colleges against the existing seats and these medical colleges may be allowed to increase the equivalent number of seats," the letter read.

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As those Ukraine returnee students did not clear NEET, the national level examination for admission in medical colleges, Banerjee suggested that the relevant guideline be relaxed "as a very special case" to accommodate them. "The private medical colleges of the state have agreed to accommodate these students at state quota fees. The government of West Bengal has also decided to extend financial assistance to these students to meet the expenses on their course fees," she said. "I also request you that as students who have returned to other states are facing similar problems, the steps that may be taken by NMC (National Medical Commission) be implemented for other states as well," Banerjee wrote in a three-page letter to Modi.