How India's stand-in UN has increased the difficulties of Indian students living in Ukraine

After Russia attacked Ukraine, some Indian medical students trapped there have alleged that they were abused at the Ukrainian checkpoint adjacent to Poland. The English newspaper Times of India has published this news prominently.

Indian students said that they were kept in almost hostage-like conditions and had to crave food and water even in the cold.

The students allege that this treatment was done to them because India distanced itself from voting on the resolution tabled in the United Nations against the Russian attack on Ukraine.

Students have also shared videos in which soldiers are seen firing in the air and using force to disperse the students.

Anger among citizens of Ukraine

In another video clip, a Ukrainian guard is seen pushing an Indian girl away. This girl is falling at the feet of the soldier and pleading with him to let him cross the border. Some students say that the people of Ukraine have also become their opponents.

After the war that broke out in Ukraine, hundreds of Indian students have been evacuated from there and brought to India, but still thousands of students studying in different universities there are stuck on the border with Poland.

To avoid the war, many students have reached there by train, car, or bus. Some students have even reached the border after traveling miles away in the hope that somehow they can get admission to another country.

According to Amit Lath, vice-president of the Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce, less than 250 Indian students have crossed the Ukrainian border to reach Poland as of Sunday afternoon. Amit Lath is involved in the rescue work of Indian students in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Poland. These students are being kept in hotels in Poland. Amit Lath says he is still concerned about the thousands of students trapped in Ukraine.

Why is Eastern Europe the choice of Indian medical students?

Most of the Indian students trapped in Ukraine due to the Russian attack study medicine there. Along with Ukraine, other Eastern European countries like Romania and Bulgaria are the preferred destinations for Indian students pursuing medical studies. The English newspaper The Indian Express has explained this news in detail as to why students select these countries for medical studies.

The rules for admission to the colleges of these countries are quite simple. There is less competition here than in India and at the same time, medical education in Europe is cheaper than in India.

However, it is challenging to practice in India after studying medicine from colleges in these countries.

All students graduating from foreign medical institutions have to take a licensure exam before practicing or pursuing further studies in India. This exam is called the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) and the passing rate is also very low.

Those who work in agencies set up to oversee medical educational institutions in India say that there is no set rule for foreign students to enroll in Ukraine for medical studies in English. From the year 2018, India had also made the NEET-UG exam mandatory for students going abroad for MBBS studies.

A senior doctor who has worked with the agency that oversees medical educational institutions in India says, “If you look at students going to Eastern European countries, Russia or China, most of them have less than 20 percent in NEET-UG. The marks come. The cut-off for even private colleges in India is around 60 percent."

Medical education is expensive in India

It costs about 15 to 20 lakh rupees to complete MBBS studies in Ukraine for about six years. At the same time, 50 lakh to 1.5 crore rupees have to be spent for medical education in private colleges in India. Here this study is completed in less time.

Another reason behind selecting Ukrainian universities is that universities here run on the European credit system. This makes it easy for students to change their institutions in Europe during the course.