Indian students enrolled in medical courses at Chinese universities protested outside the Press Club of India in Mumbai on Wednesday, demanding hands-on learning in India. These students were forced to return to India in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak and have not been able to return since then due to the unavailability of visas.
While taking online classes taught by their universities in China, students are now seeking the opportunity to take hands-on classes and clinical rotations in India that are recognized by the National Medical Commission, according to a Free Press Journal report.
These students had previously written to the concerned officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central Ministry of Health, the National Medical Commission, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Health to demand a smooth return and continuation of the offline studies , but to no avail. One student said the government has not listened to their plight and said they should be given a chance because they are future doctors of India.
A similar protest took place in Delhi earlier this month under the banner of the Foreign Medical Graduates Parents Association (FMGPA), news agency ANI reported. Conducted at the Kerala secretariat in Delhi, the protesting students and their parents said the government should recognize their physical training in India.
Murshid Aleen, a fourth-year medical student at Yangzhou University, China, told media that they were unsure whether the Indian government would recognize their degrees and online classes. He added that many such students were doing practicals in various government and private hospitals, but this was not recognized by the authorities.
The students also expressed concerns about being able to complete their education and repay their loans. Indian students who had returned from war-torn Ukraine are also demanding recognition for their degrees and a chance to continue their course offline here in India.
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