Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has assured his Indian counterpart Dr. S Jaishankar that he will “speak to the relevant authorities” regarding the return of Indian medical students. Ever since the onset of the pandemic in March, Indian students studying in medical colleges have returned home and are waiting to resume their studies on their varsity campus.
Ever since Indian students who had registered in China-based medical colleges have been continuing their studies in online mode. Considering the practical aspect of the study, students claim that online education is not enough and have been pleading with the Indian government to take up the issue with the Chinese government.
On Friday, EAM Dr S Jaishankar on meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “Yi assured me that he would speak to the relevant authorities on his return on this matter. He also recognized the particular concerns that medical students have in this difficult situation”
These students cannot practice medicine in India after having online degrees as in the field of medicine the Indian government does not recognize online as the mode of education for MBBS, BDS, or other medical courses.
Earlier, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, replying to a question in Rajya Sabha had China had restricted travel by suspending visa and residence permits from March 27, 2020, in view of the pandemic.
“As per information available, approximately 20,000 Indian students were enrolled in various courses including clinical medicine courses in different Chinese universities at that time,” he said. “A large number of them returned to India when all universities in China had closed down,” he added.
Muraleedharan said the universities in China have not reopened fully as on date. “The government has been taking up the matter of the return of Indian students with the Chinese authorities both in New Delhi and through our Embassy in China. Regular updates have been given in this regard by the Embassy to the Indian students,” Muraleedharan said.
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