Ukraine returned medicos reject Academic Mobility Programme before Supreme Court
New Delhi: While the Union Health Ministry has informed the Supreme Court about the "Academic Mobility Programme" as the possible solution for the Ukraine returned medicos who had to leave their courses midway, the medicos have rejected the offer altogether.
Filing a counter affidavit in this regard, the petitioner students from Ukraine informed the Supreme Court that the suggestions offered by the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Union Health Ministry have been made on the basis of non-exercise of any homework and non-examination of actual facts and reality, adds Outlook India.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Union Government, in its affidavit filed on Thursday had said that they (students) cannot be accommodated in medical college here for lack of provisions under the law and till now, no permission has been given by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute/University.
It, however, had said that to aid and assist such returnee students who could not complete their MBBS courses in Ukraine, NMC in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a Public Notice dated September 6, 2022 (academic mobility programme), indicating that NMC would accept completion of their remaining courses in other countries (with the approval of parent university/Institution in Ukraine).
The government said that after such completion of their remaining courses, the certificate, of course, completion/degree is expected to be issued by the parent institutions in Ukraine.
It added that in the public notice dated September 6, the phrase "global mobility" cannot be interpreted to mean accommodation of these students in Indian colleges/Universities, as the extant regulations in India do not permit migration of students from foreign universities to India.
While the Union Government referred to the Academic Mobility Programme as a solution for thousands of medicos who had to leave war-torn Ukraine, the medicos have rejected the programme altogether. In this regard, they have already submitted a counter affidavit before the Supreme Court and claimed that the Union Health Minister and the NMC did not do any homework before making such a suggestion.
As per the latest media report by Outlook India, in a written submission before the Supreme Court, the main petitioner stated, "I say that even if the Petitioner medical students consider opting for 'Academic Mobility Programme" at their respective Ukrainian medical Universities, the said universities have refused to entertain their applications stating that due to numerous similar requests, the University has decided not to accept any such applications for the academic mobility in the first semester of 2022-23 academic year."
It was further mentioned in the submission that the medical students have been directed to stop sending such requests. This ultimately makes the Academic Mobility Programme irrelevant, fruitless and infructuous, claimed the petitioner.
While addressing the matter and the objections by the students, the counsel for the petition, Advocate Vineet Bhagat was quoted saying by the daily, "Only 4 to 5 universities were offering such mobility programs, however, since the academic year has started from September 1, 2022, the said option has also closed for the Petitioner medical students."
At this outset, he further mentioned that the suggestions made by NMC, Union Government and the Union Health Ministry are unreasonable, arbitrary, fanciful, misleading and misconceived.
After the commencement of the war between Ukraine and Russia, thousands of medical students who were pursuing their education in the Ukraine based Universities had to come back home. Although there has been continuous plea from those students for accommodating them in the Indian medical colleges, the National Medical Commission (NMC) clarified it to be not possible.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that several organizations had requested the Government for accommodating the medicos in the Indian institutes as a one time measure. In this regard, petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court as well seeking relief for the Ukraine returned medicos.
However, the Union Government has recently clarified that the accommodating the Ukraine returned medicos in the Indian medical colleges would not be possible. Filing an affidavit, the Government stated, "It is humbly submitted that in case these students with (a) Poor Merit are allowed admission in premier medical colleges in India by default, there may be several litigations from those desirous candidates who could not get seats in these colleges and have taken admission in either lesser known colleges or have been deprived of a seat in medical colleges. Further, in case of affordability, if these candidates are allocated Private Medical Colleges in India, they once again may not be able to afford the fees structure of the concerned institution."
