MUMBAI: The Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has sought clarification and direction from the National Medical Commission for students returning from Ukraine. The state health university has enquired if there was any plan to accommodate students in universities at home.
Meanwhile, the MUHS has asked all students from Maharashtra returning from Ukraine to fill in their personal and academic details and send these over email. The Maharashtra government is weighing options to assist the returning medical students.
On Wednesday during the MUHS convocation, medical education minister Anil Deshmukh asked the university officials to think about how these embattled students could be assisted.
Again, minister of higher and technical education Uday Samant told TOI at the J J School of Arts that he would meet students once they were back to the safety of their homes and settled.

"One cannot permit an entry into the medical colleges in India as all students are admitted on the basis of merit-cum-choice on NEET UG scores. But these students have gone there with certain aspirations for doing medicine and on humanitarian grounds, if we find an alternate system and conduct a credible assessment exam to know where they stand, we may be able to find solutions, MUHS VC Dr Madhuri Kanitkar told TOI.
When foreign medical graduates come back to the country, we make them take the exit exam. "So, in that same spirit, if a student has completed the first year and needs admission in the second year, we may conduct the exam and see where they stand. We can have a practical solution such that we don't lower the standards, but we need to suggest solutions through a consultative process with inputs from all stakeholders so that students are not left in the lurch," added Dr Kanitkar.
Sources in the National Medical Commission said the government's priority currently is to bring back all students. "The students will have to wait and see how the situation unfolds over the next few weeks," said an NMC official. Most agencies that are in touch with students in Ukraine said the same. College principals said accommodating them in Indian medical institutes won't be possible unless the government releases some guidelines.