Have liaised with other countries for Ukraine returnee students to complete medical education: Centre informs Supreme Court

Solicitor General (SG) of India Tushar Mehta on Friday informed the Supreme Court that the Central Government had liaised with other countries to send Ukraine returnee students in their first, second, or third year to complete their education there [Archika v National Medical Commission]..A bench comprising Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia asked the SG to demonstrate how a student was to go to one of these countries if they wished and suggested developing a portal for coordinating the process."This is already done? How will I go? Let's say I've to go to Belgium, how?...There is a need to coordinate, maybe you can develop a portal," said Justice Gupta..On being informed that a liaisoning officer for the purpose had been appointed, Justice Gupta insisted that a portal be developed for transparency and ease."Certainly, I'll speak to the government. I will not take an adversarial view," replied the Solicitor General..Further, the court determined that there was no need to issue notice as requested by the petitioners and posted the matter on 23 September, 2022 when the SG will place before the Court further instructions from the Central government on the matter..The court was hearing a a plea filed by Indian medical students who returned from Ukraine, seeking to continue their studies in India..A Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Vikram Nath had sought the response of the Union Health Ministry and the National Medical Commission (NMC) in the matter in August..The Central government, in its response to the plea, had submitted that existing regulations do not permit the migration of foreign medical students to India, and the accommodations made in this regard were only on account of the Russia-Ukraine war and the pandemic.The petitioners had earlier told the court that a committee on External Affairs in its report has made a recommendation to the Union Health Ministry to consider allowing Indian private medical institutions to enrol Ukraine returnee students to pursue their education in their institutions as a one-time measure.However, this was not acted upon, leaving the fate of 14,000 odd students in the lurch, the pleas contended..The petitioners argued that that the NMC had selectively extended relief only to those students who had completed their degrees and had clinical training and internship remaining.The action of the NMC to not extend any benefit to the students currently in the midst of their courses, unlike what the All-India Council for Technical Education had done for other students, is ex-facie arbitrary and discriminatory, it was contended..[Read our live coverage of the hearing below].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.