The plight of Indian students, who returned to Ukraine to complete their medical degrees amid the ongoing war, shows no signs of improvement. They now increasingly face hostility from certain sections of the local population who perceive India as supporting Russia in the conflict, reported Times of India.
As the conflict persists, public sentiment in Ukraine has increasingly turned against Indian students. “You Indians are good friends with Russia’. They want us to leave their country,” said another student.
This hostility has grown notably since Ukraine initiated its latest offensive operations in June. One student expressed, “Locals are asking them to leave the country. It’s got worse in the last eight weeks or so.” These students have been regularly reaching out to their respective state governments and the central government, pleading to allow them to transfer to universities in other countries, but their appeals have gone unanswered.
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In 2022, approximately 18,000 students were evacuated from Ukraine shortly after Russia’s invasion. They had hoped to continue their studies in Indian institutions or other foreign universities but were met with disappointment. Despite the risks, around 3,400 students returned to Ukraine in January 2023 to complete their degrees.
A student from Madhya Pradesh explained, “As per National Medical Council (NMC) guidelines, students who are studying abroad after December 2021 cannot transfer to any other university. This is why I and many other students had to come back here.”
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Living conditions have also become challenging. Sometimes shopkeepers refuse to sell goods to them, and similar treatment is experienced in their hostels. “Sometimes, water is not available or the electricity goes out, or both. Sometimes the kitchen doesn’t open. How will we survive? We are stuck here because we have no other option,” alleged one student.
Whenever sirens blare, students live in fear. “We live in constant terror. Our families in India live in fear. The sires are so frequent that we can’t study,” shared a distressed student. The student added that they are requesting their government to permit them to transfer to universities in other countries. “We are not seeking financial assistance from anyone,” the student stated.
Mint could not independently confirm the development
(Read full report at Times of India)
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Updated: 23 Aug 2023, 10:40 AM IST