Dear Editor, As it is quite difficult to get admission in Government Medical Colleges in India, apart from Kyiv, the students from India also go to countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, China etc to do MBBS. Moreover, several irregularities have come to the fore in name of nominations to be done under Management Quota. Amidst ample opportunities of education and employment in India, a large number of students going abroad for studies appear astonishing. A view of Kyiv airport during a trip to Ukraine in past years still astonishes. On reaching here, it was both astonishing and curious to see a large number of Indian students. Seeing such a large number of people from India, once it appeared that it is an airport in India itself. Most of the Indians there would have been 20 to 25 years old. More than 80 per cent of the people on plane going to Ukraine were Indian people, with majority of the students. An Indian student sitting next to me was studying medicine from Kyiv. Till then I was unaware that such a large number of students from India go here to study medicine. During conversation, I came to know that the student belonged to a very normal family. After passing 12th, he prepared for two years sitting at home, but could not get rank, high enough to get admission in any Government Medical College. He told that as he was unable to study medicine in a private college in India, someone told that studying abroad can be much cheaper. Then through help of many people, he got enrolled in a medical college in Ukraine for MBBS studies. Actually it is very difficult to get admission in Government Medical College in India. Although this path has become easy in the last few years, but still the path of enrollment in it is very difficult. Many types of irregularities have come to the fore in the name of nominations to be done under Management Quota. It is just like that in a residential colony the cost of housing was Rs 15 lakh and a builder comes here and buys all land and sells it at an arbitrary price and the one who wants to buy will come to the builder, because all places in that whole area are owned by him. Those who want a plot or residential building should buy it at the stated price. There are still no seats in medical courses as per demand in India, and the ones that are present, are so expensive that students from families with normal economic status cannot afford to study. There is no such hefty exam for admission in MBBS abroad. Students get admission easily. After coming from abroad, these people easily start practicing in India after giving FMGE exam. This test did prevent some students from going abroad, but it cannot resolve the problem. There can be many other ways too. After coming from abroad, if it has been one year while doing private practice and there is no complaint, then these doctors can take permission for private practice from State Governments. The number of such doctors is very less who, after studying medicine from outside, practice abroad. When they have to work in India, why not find a way to do their studies here. Since studying abroad, a large amount of money is sent from India to those countries, thereby causing huge loss to Indian economy. In such a situation, if an effective arrangement is made in India itself, that money can be prevented from going abroad. Vijay Garg.
