AMN / WEB DESK
Indian Embassy in Beijing today said that there was no positive development on the return of Indian students enrolled in Chinese Universities to resume their studies. With one year to pass in anticipation to get the permission to return to China to resume their studies, thousands of Indian students have no other option than online studies which is difficult specially in the field of medicine.
Over 23000 Indian students pursuing their higher studies in China, mostly in medicine courses, are under tremendous pressure as they have lost one precious year, facing a bleak future now. Chinese authorities have repeatedly advised that COVID-19 restrictions in place are not likely to be relaxed in coming months and students should be advised accordingly, said a statement released by Indian Embassy on Friday. The embassy advised Indian students enrolled in Chinese universities to take note of the restrictions by China and make appropriate arrangements for continuing their education. They should also remain in touch with their universities for any information, the statement said.
With the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in China, authorities have further reinforced the epidemic controls and restrictions on travel and entry into China. Chinese authorities have also denied permission for operation of any chartered flights between India and China citing their strict control measures. Due to COVID-19 outbreak in China, over 20000 Indian students have returned to homeland at different stages since January 2020. Many students have expressed their frustration over social media over lack of permission to return and the online mode of the studies which is of less utility for courses like medicine involving more of practical.
Indian students are attracted to Chinese Universities for medical studies especially due to the low cost of their entire course as compared to Indian medical colleges. However, there are issues related to recognition of foreign medical degrees in India. Indians holding foreign medical degree including from China, have to clear Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) which is a compulsory exam to get a license to practice in India. A recent analysis by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) revealed that less than 14% of the Indian Students with Chinese medical universities were able to clear the FMGE from 2015 -2018. Chinese foreign ministry last week said, China will assess the situation concerning resumption of studies in China for foreign students and will continue discussing that with all parties.
