Dehradun: When the efforts are on to bring back Indian students stuck in war-torn Ukraine; in the meantime, the controversial statement by Union Minister Prahlad Joshi has kicked up a row. Josh a few days ago said, "The 90% of Indian students pursuing MBBS courses abroad are those who have failed to clear the Medical Entrance Test held in the country. Though, it is not the right time to discuss why students are going overseas to study medical courses."
In a reply to Union Minister Prahlad Joshi's utterances against the Indian students stuck in Ukraine, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Harish Rawat said, "Prahladji, it is not the question that they (Indian students) didn't qualify the NEET exam, but the pertinent thing is that what steps the Union government has been taking for these students. You (Union government) already delayed the process of airlifting the Indian students; now, when death is hovering over their heads, this type of mindless statement is doing more harm than good to the citizens of the country."
"Being a Parliamentary Affair Minister, Prahlad Joshi is also the spokesperson of the Union government. He should always remember that the evacuation process would have started a month ago, was delayed. Even then, very less Indian students have been airlifted from the war-ravaged Ukraine so far," said Harish Rawat.
Elaborating further, senior Congress leader Rawat said, "People are going to Ukraine or other foreign countries because it costs around Rs 25-30lakh to get medical education there. In India, it is a costly affair. In our country, medical education can cost more than Rs 1.50 crore, which is just like scaling Mount Everest for the lower middle class. You people (Union govt) don't make a mockery of their (Indian students and their guardians) helpless situation. Think about those mothers who are worrying about the safety of their children. One of the students from Karnataka studying in Ukraine came under heavy shelling, when he was out from his bunker, to purchase groceries. He died."
