Accommodate Students Returning From Ukraine In Indian Colleges: Plea In Supreme Court

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre and others to accommodate the medical students returning from Ukraine in Indian medical colleges with appropriate Indian or foreign degrees as a one-time measure.

The plea says in the alternative, the Centre and the states be asked to coordinate with the authorities in Ukraine and declare some seats in the central, state or private medical colleges as overseas campuses of Ukrainian institutes for the purpose of continuation of studies as a one-time emergency measure till normalcy returns in the war-hit east European country.

The plea, filed by two advocates, highlights the plight of the Indian students who are compelled to discontinue their studies in various courses, including medical courses, in several institutes of Ukraine.

It says there is no clarity as to when will normalcy return to Ukraine and whether the students will be able to complete their courses.

"Petitioners are public-spirited persons and utterly disturbed by the plight of the medical students, compelled to return to India leaving their medical courses in various colleges and universities in Ukraine," the plea says.

On March 4, the court, while hearing a plea relating to the evacuation of some Indian medical students stranded near the Ukraine-Romania border, had taken note of the Centre's submission that it has so far evacuated 17,000 Indian students from the conflict zone.

The court had asked the Centre to consider setting up an "online helpline" for the parents and the families of the students stranded in Ukraine and convey to the high courts not to take up the issue pertaining to the evacuation of students to avoid multiplicity of litigation.

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