Can’t give accommodation to Ukraine's returned medical students in Indian colleges: Center to the supreme court

Indian medical students who have returned from studying in Ukraine may soon face difficulties continuing their education in India. According to the Center’s response to the Supreme Court, there is no provision under the law to allow admissions to such students in Indian colleges. 

In the response, the Center has submitted that no permission has been given by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to accommodate any such Ukraine-returned Indian medical students in the colleges in the country. The reasons have primarily been attributed to a lack of provisions under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and/or the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.

“It is humbly submitted that so far as such students are concerned, there are no such provisions either under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 or the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 as well as the Regulations to accommodate or transfer medical students from any foreign medical institutes/colleges to Indian medical colleges,” the government said.

The Central government has said in an affidavit that the students who opt to study abroad do so for two reasons – poor merit in NEET and affordability. The government said that if they allow poor merit students into premier Indian medical colleges, this may lead to other legal actions from the candidates who could not get seats in these colleges.

The government said that the Ukraine-returned students wouldn’t be able to afford the fee structure in Indian colleges.

The affidavit said, “It is humbly submitted that in case these students with 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.”