Advise NMC to relax NEET criteria for Ukraine return MBBS students: Panneerselvam urges Modi

As per the NMC guidelines, students who have qualified NEET examination can get admission into the medical colleges in India.

Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Panneerselvam has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the National Medical Commission (NMC) to relax norms and allow Ukraine-returned MBBS students to continue their studies in India.

Since the war broke out between Ukraine and Russia in February this year, nearly 20,000 Indian students who were pursuing MBBS in various medical colleges in Ukraine returned to India. The war which has been going on for over 100 days, has caused panic among students as they are not able to go back nor they are getting admitted to Indian medical colleges.

Panneerselvam has thanked PM Modi for bringing back all Indians from Ukraine under the evacuation mission 'Operation Ganga'. In his letter, he writes: “You are well aware that more than 14,000 Indian medical students enrolled in various Universities of Ukraine have returned to India and they have been passing through severe stress and nervousness due to their uncertain future. Of the 14,000 students, nearly 1,900 students belong to Tamil Nadu.

The fate of Indian medical students rescued from war-hit Ukraine hangs in the balance. They have spent lakhs of rupees with the hope that they will become Doctors. “Now they have been left in the wobble. They have returned to India with the hope that the Government at the Centre will make adequate arrangements to pursue their studies in India. Parents are more worried about the uncertainty of their children and they are of the firm belief that Hon. Prime Minister who is the guiding light for all alone can find a solution to this problem,” reads the letter sent to the PM.

The National Medical Commission has allowed the Ukraine-returned MBBS Students to complete their mandatory 12-month internship in India provided they have cleared the foreign medical graduate examination before applying for such internship in India. On account of this, the total number of affected students came down to approximately 12,000.

As per the NMC guidelines, students who have qualified NEET examination can get admission into the medical colleges in India. This is proving to be an obstacle for Ukraine-returned MBBS Students to get admission to Indian medical colleges.

Former TN Chief Minister has urged Modi to intervene in this matter urgently and advise the National Medical Commission to relax the relevant guidelines, as a special case, so as to enable the Ukraine-returned MBBS Students to continue their studies in the medical colleges in India.

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