In a controversial statement amid SOS calls from Indian students in war-torn Ukraine, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said that “90 per cent of Indians who study medicine abroad fail to clear qualifying exams in India”.
In an interview with The Times of India, Joshi however said this is “not the right time to debate why students are moving out to study medicine” as thousands of Indian students are scrambling to save their lives in Ukraine.
An Indian student was killed in war-hit Ukraine’s Kharkiv city on Tuesday as a result of shelling, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed. The ministry tweeted that it was in touch with the student’s family.
“With profound sorrow, we confirm that an Indian student lost his life in shelling in Kharkiv this morning. The Ministry is in touch with his family. We convey our deepest condolences to the family,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote.
The deceased has been identified as Naveen Gyanagoudar, a fourth-year medical student and a native of Karnataka. He had gone out to buy groceries when the incident occurred, according to reports.
In a second tweet, Bagchi said that Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has dialled ambassadors of Russia and Ukraine “to reiterate our demand for urgent safe passage for Indian nationals who are still in Kharkiv and cities in other conflict zones”. “Similar action is also being undertaken by our Ambassadors in Russia and Ukraine,” Bagchi added.
From India’s side, preparations for evacuation have been in place for some time now. An Indian team has already been stationed in the Russian city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border. However, the conflict situation in and around Kharkiv and other nearby cities has been an obstacle. “Therefore, it is imperative that Russia and Ukraine respond to our need for safe passage urgently,” sources told News18.
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