The death of the Indian student Naveen Shekharappa in Ukraine raised provoking questions about the system of medical education in India.
Naveen Shekharappa, a medical student from Karnataka’s Haveri district became the first Indian casualty of the ongoing war in Ukraine amid heavy shelling in the city of Kharkiv on Tuesday. Naveen’s death raised questions about the system of medical eduction in India. Naveen was studying in Kharkiv National Medical University and was reportedly standing in a queue to buy food when he was killed.
The father of Naveen Shekharappa told the media after his son’s demise.,”Despite scoring 97% in the pre-University course, my son could not secure a medical seat in the State. To get a medical seat one has to give crores of rupees and students are getting the same education abroad spending less money,”
India has since asked the envoys of both Russia and Ukraine to ensure “urgent safe passage” to citizens who are still in war-hit areas.
While the nation grieves for the death of Naveen, and embassy works on evacuating thousands of stranded Indian students, the medical education system in India has become a hot topic of conversation.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi meanwhile suggested on Monday that about 90% of citizens studying medicine abroad had failed to clear the qualifying exams in India. Speaking to the Times of India, he however added that “this is not the right time” to debate why students were leaving the country to study medicine.
The Maharashtra government has taken note of fee structures for medical education in Ukraine and Russia, with officials being instructed to see if such facilities can be given to students in the state. State Minister Amit Deshmukh said on Tuesday that the government would study the reasons for students travelling abroad for education.
There were accusations among the right-wing of India that “dumb” students who failed Indian medical exams go abroad to study and return to work as “quack” doctors endangering the lives of patients.
This topic sparked up debates on national television. When the father of father Naveen Shekharappa said this startling statement, it should lead Indians to think about the lack of opportunities for brilliant medical students and how the system should be changed to accomodate students of merits. It is said that medical fees go up to 5 crores in India! Who could afford it? Thus, it cannot be on merit but on money, and we introspect on this reality.
What Started the Russian Ukrainian War
Russian forces started the largest military operations since World War 2 in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities.
Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised Ukraine to help with military aid to fight Russia and Germany is sending weapons and missiles to Ukraine.
Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country’s borders, according to the UN refugee agency and Indian students remain stuck in Ukraine in one of the greatest military wars termed the largest conventional military attack after World War II.