Amid the escalating war-like circumstances between Ukraine and Russia, India is deliberating on an important question – why are students going abroad to pursue medical education? Shocked by the recent report published by the Times of India, Anand Mahindra, chairperson of the Mahindra Group, took to Twitter today, March 03, 2022, to express his surprise. While putting forth the idea of opening a medical college within Mahindra University, he even tagged the Mahindra CEO C.P. Gurnani. If executed, this move could improve the paucity of medical seats in India.
I had no idea that there was such a shortfall of medical colleges in India. @C_P_Gurnani could we explore the idea of establishing a medical studies institution on the campus of @MahindraUni ?
What did the TOI report say?
In India, the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) examination is conducted on a yearly-basis for admitting students to UG and PG courses in the field of medicine. In case of NEET UG, more than 15 lakh students appear for the entrance test, across the country. These students compete for 80,000+ seats by tackling high cut-offs and reservation policies.
Indian MBBS aspirants however, have other affordable avenues at their disposal. With every passing day, these avenues are growing in number. The most affordable option is foreign education, specifically in countries like China, Ukraine, Russia, Phillipines, Krygyzstan, Georgia, Bangladesh and many more. In fact, some foreign universities are only catering to Indian nationals without entertaining the local population for admission.
As per the TOI report, 95% of candidates enrolled in such universities failed to get a seat in Indian medical colleges. Such issues especially, come to light during evacuation drives from war-torn areas (currently, in the case of Ukraine-Russia conflict).
Acknowledging this grave issue, Anand Mahindra might just contribute in a big way. According to his tweet, the business tycoon is looking into the possibility of opening-up a medical studies institution within the Mahindra University campus.
China, Ukraine & Russia – Hotspot for Medical Education
To understand the number of students going abroad for medical studies, following is a table of statistics shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs –
| Sr. No. | Country | No. of Indian Students |
| 1. | China | 20,000 |
| 2. | Ukraine | 18,000 |
| 3. | Russia | 16,500 |
| 4. | Phillipines | 15,000 |
| 5. | Krygyzstan | 10,000 |
| 6. | Georgia | 7,500 |
| 7. | Bangladesh | 5,200 |
| 8. | Kazakhstan | 5,200 |
| 9. | Poland | 4,000 |
| 10. | Armenia | 3,000 |
In light of the growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, India is currently, undertaking the evacuation program called “Mission Ganga” to evacuate a total of 20,000 students stranded in Ukraine. As Russia continues to invade the neighbouring country, India is facing difficulty locating and evacuating students back to safety.
