Supreme Court To Hear Ukraine Returnee Students' Plea To Continue Medical Education In India On September 15

The Supreme Court, on Monday, adjourned a batch of petitions filed seeking the relief of allowing nearly 20,000 Indian students who had to return from Ukraine due to Russian attack to complete their medical education in India, to 15th September. The matter was heard by the bench comprising Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia.

The request for adjournment was placed before the court by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who stated that–

"Your lordships have referred to the committee of External Affairs, it seems they have taken a favourable view. I need to get instructions from the Ministry."

Accordingly, the matter will now be heard on 15th September. 

The petitioners relied upon the report submitted by the the Lok Sabha Committee on External Affairs on August 3 in which it recommended the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to consider accommodating the students who returned from Ukraine in Indian private medical colleges as a one-time measure. In view of the said recommendation, the petitioners sought appropriate decision from Government of India and the National Medical Commission in respect of students from Ukraine.

During the previous hearing, the Court had recorded in the order the recommendation made by the Lok Sabha Committee.

In the last hearing on the matter, the bench had enquired about the policy framed by the Government of India pursuant to the earlier directions passed the Court to frame a scheme for students who could not complete foreign medical education due to the pandemic. The bench was informed that students, who have completed their courses but could not complete internship in foreign countries like China, have been allowed to do the same here. However, in the case of Ukraine students, not all of them are in the final year.

Case Title: Archita and others versus National Medical Commission and others, WP(c) 607/2022 and 6 connected cases.