What Is The Reason Behind Influx Of Indian Students To Ukraine For Educational Opportunities?

The Russia-Ukraine crisis has intensified in the past few days. With Vladimir Putin declaring an attack on the neighbouring country, the situation has become tense. His announcement is met with global criticism and only a handful lending support to Russia in the war-like scenario.

In light of this, governments are scrambling to get their citizens back home, and India has followed suit as they attempt to evacuate their countrypeople from Ukraine. A significant chunk of it comprises young students exploring educational opportunities, from medicine to engineering.

Pursuing Medicine In Ukraine

For aspiring medical students in India, Ukraine presents lucrative opportunities to them. According to The Times of India, the country provides medical education at affordable rates comparatively cheaper than many of India's private colleges.

According to The Times of India, MBBS tuition fee in Ukraine ranges between $3000-$5000 (Rs 2.62 lakh to Rs 3.75 lakhs). This is a better option for several students than spending Rs 7 to 10 lakhs for the same in private colleges in India.

A Hyderabad-based educational consultant told the news publication, "With limited seats in India and tough competition, those who fail to get a seat due to low marks tend to look out for options abroad. Ukraine has become an ideal destination for many students due to lower learning costs and higher educational standards."

Many Ukrainian medical colleges are 200-250 years old, consisting of advanced and modern infrastructure in medicine and nursing courses. However, in order to practice medicine in India, the students have to clear a screening test by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

Fear Of Losing Out On Learning

The Indian embassy in Ukraine has asked the student to leave the country. Around 200 have been able to repatriate and reunite with their family. However, several people are still stuck in the war-torn situation and have nowhere to go.

Not only that, the reunion has come in at an unfortunate cost. While it may be challenging to return home, some students are unwilling to return as they do not want to miss essential classes. Despite online courses, many Indian pupils feel that this is not enough.

A student named Dhruv Malhotra from Kyiv Medical University told The New Indian Express, "I have online classes, but it will not help since medical students need practical classes more than theory classes." With certainty and fear alike, the students face a challenging future ahead, with the crisis between Russia and Ukraine becoming worse than usual.

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