Returnees from Ukraine finish exams online but stare at uncertain future ‘Commission Hasn’t Stuck To Deadlines’

Returnees from Ukraine finish exams online but stare at uncertain future ‘Commission Hasn’t Stuck To Deadlines’

 Pearl.Dsouza@timesgroup.com 

15.07.2022  BANGALORE 

Bengaluru : The war in Ukraine is not close to being over, and nor is the ordeal faced by medical students, who flew back to their homes in Karnataka after hostilities broke out. Though the academic year has concluded, with both classes and exams held online, the students are still awaiting clarity from the government and their universities about what their coming academic year, beginning September, will look like. Deepika from Bengaluru will move from second to third year at Bukovinian State Medical University and is expecting her classes to resume in the first week of September. 

However, she remains unsure about what the National Medical Commission (NMC) will announce with regard to students who have returned from the war-torn European nation. Meanwhile, there has been no word from her university about how the impending academic year would unravel. Exams and classes continued unimpeded after Deepika returned home earlier this year. “The online exams were rigorous and much like the offline version. We answered both orally and in writing. A camera continued to capture our face and hands as we answered the exam, and we took pictures of the answersheet at the end and sent it across (for evaluation),” she said. 

Being a second-year stu- dent, clinical subjects or practicals, which involve interaction with patients, were not part of her curriculum. Sneha Patil, a second-year student from Kharkiv National Medical University, said: “Faculty of 7/15/22, 11:35 AM about:blank about:blank 2/3 KNMU continued to take classes from bunkers. Exams were held online. ” Confirming that she is yet to hear from either NMC or her university, she added: “Students continue to be given options to go to countries such as Kazakhstan, Georgia and Uzbekistan to carry on with their education. To keep waiting for NMC (announcements) is a distraction for students. They haven’t been made as per the deadlines set. ” The last deadline was June, she added. Some attempts to cater to these students have happened as part of local initiatives. 

Theory and practical classes in some subjects were organised by BLDE (deemed to be university) at the initiative of MLA MB Patil and at JSS Medical College, Mysuru, at the behest of Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Mahaswami. But students said the classes did not seem to be effective. Meanwhile, as an alternative, parents have tried to get their wards regularised in colleges here. Nadeem, parent of a third-year student from Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, said: “Parents are either awaiting guidelines from the government or for the war to end. ” Meeting ministers has not been fruitful either, as thousands of Indian students are facing academic ambiguity. 

According to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Authority, 572 students from the state were evacuated from Ukraine and brought home. Ali Khwaja, a counsellor, trainer and life-skills coach, said: “While there are talks about the government accommodating t hem, so far nothing has happened. Students say they have got a lot of reassurances, but haven’t actually been admitted. They are sitting idle and hoping they will be taken into some medical college here. “The question is which colleges will take them and if they have the capacity to absorb so many extra students. 

” NMC DIRECTIVE EXPECTED SOON, SAYS OFFICIAL Dr BL Sujatha Rathod, director, medical education, told TOI they haven’t received any guidelines on how to absorb Ukraine-returnee students into the local education system. “An announcement (by NMC) could be expected in another two weeks...,” she said. The announcement may give clarity on existing seats, and how many students can be accommodated. Asked about the possibility of these students being accommodated in Karnataka, she cited several logistical issues. “The number (of students) is huge and every college already has its own 7/15/22, 11:35 AM about:blank about:blank 3/3 number (of seats filled). One cannot go beyond the NMC-recognised number of seats. Where do you accommodate Ukraine students? Unless recognised by NMC, these children will suffer in future,” she added.

 BACK HOME: A group of Karnataka students from Ukraine on their return in March 2022. They are now awaiting clarity on their future