Ukraine students aggrieved over efforts to resume studies in neighbouring countries

Scores of Indian students repatriated from Ukraine are aggrieved over the efforts being made by the Indian government to arrange their further studies in other countries close to Ukraine.

Higher cost of education and living, lower quality of education and security risks are the major concerns of the students as well as their parents.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar said in the Parliament the other day that talks were being held with countries like Hungary, Romania, Kazakhstan and Poland for continuing the education of the Indian students repatriated from Ukraine.

Also Read | Stranded students in Ukraine overcome adversities and join families finally

But the students and their parents are aggrieved over the move citing that the cost of education and living in those countries were much higher and the quality of education did not match with that of Ukraine universities. Moreover, since the tension is continuing in the region there was a higher security risk also.

Hence the parents and students urge that either they shall be given the option of studying in India or they shall be at least given the option to carry out clinical training in India as the universities in Ukraine are conducting online classes.

Out of the 22,000 odd Indian students repatriated from Ukraine, around 3,900 are from Kerala - mostly pursuing medical education. A forum of students and parents, All Kerala Ukraine Medical Students and Parents Association, have been formed to pursue their demands.

Also Read | Parents express hope about children returning to India safely

The forum vice president Venugopal Kannoth, who is the father of a fifth-year medical student in Odesa, told DH that a major chunk of the students pursuing medical education in Ukraine was from low or middle-income families. Hence they would not be able to afford higher education costs. Most students opted for Ukraine for medical education considering the quality of the education and the lesser fee. But in other countries in the region, the cost is much higher and the quality also did not match that of Ukraine. In Ukraine annual fee was around Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh, whereas in neighbouring countries the average fee would be around Rs. 15 lakh, he said.

The Father of a third-year student in Kyiv said that he already had to sell off a family property to raise funds for his daughter's education and hence further increase in the cost would be unaffordable.

He also said that the general impression that parents pressurise their children to pursue medical education abroad was wrong. Most students who pursue medical education abroad had attempted at least twice of trice in the entrance tests in India and missed by a whisker. Since their families could not afford the high cost of medical education in the private sector in India, the students were left with no other option other than exploring cheaper options abroad to fulfil their ambition of pursuing medical education, he said.

Watch the latest DH Videos here: