Indian Med students in limbo as NMC refuses to recognise Ukrainian varsities 'Mobility programme'

New Delhi: The National Medical Council (NMC) of India refused to recognise the mobility programme offered to Indian medical students by the Ukrainian Universities, which is said to be a major blow to Indian students who returned to the country after the Russian invasion.

The MNC also denied reports of having an option for the Indian students to continue their studies in the Indian medical colleges.

'Mobility programme' is a facility that is being offered by the Ukrainian universities to the Indian medical students whereupon they could join Universities in Europe with whom the Ukrainian universities have made an arrangement under the 'student exchange' programme while being the students of the Ukrainian university.

While the war is continuing, the Indians are getting emails from Universities to return to study ahead of the next semester. The students have the option to opt for either offline classes in the universities or continue studying theory online and return for practical training around February 2023 when the next semester begins.

The Indian students who are not returning to Ukraine need to get a transfer certificate from the Ukrainian universities to continue their studies in India. But this facility is available only to students whose course had started before November 18, 2021.

The Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations that came into force in November 2021 state that students have to complete their entire training and internship from the same university without the option of transfer.

Now the only option left with the students who completed their first year in Ukraine is to leave the Ukrainian universities and clear the NEET for admission to an Indian college or to return to Ukraine.