SC asks Centre to assist Ukraine-returned medical students get admission to other varsities

The Supreme Court on Friday suggested that the Centre could develop a web portal providing details of foreign universities for the medical students who returned from Ukraine following Russia's invasion in February, to complete their studies.

A bench comprising Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, that the government should help Indian students who will now have to go abroad under alternative schemes and the High Commissions could help the students.

"Start a web portal, post details like available seats in colleges (alternate foreign universities, which are compatible), fees, ensure they are not fleeced by agents," the bench said, adding that the government should use its resources to help the affected



students.

Mehta said that he is not taking an adversarial stand and sought time to get instructions from the authorities concerned regarding the suggestions made by the top court.

He further submitted that the Centre has taken several measures to help the students, including for the ones who could not do their clinical training have been permitted to complete it here and it has been ensured that they will get their degrees from Ukraine, and the other is an "academic mobility programme".

The bench noted that the government has a problem in admitting 20,000 students in Indian colleges and added that students will have to go to foreign countries to avail alternate "academic mobility programme", and that the Centre must coordinate, extend all the required help.