NEW DELHI: Indian medical students in Iran are unable to move out despite an advisory from the Indian Embassy in Tehran asking them to leave the country immediately in light of a possible US military strike. Students said a crucial exam coming up on March 5 which permits medical students to move from academics to a hospital environment is the reason they are stuck.
The Foreign Medical Students Wing of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) has written to Prime Minister Modi on Monday to direct the Indian Embassy in Iran to coordinate with Iranian universities and authorities to postpone this specific exam for international students so that they can return to India safely.
Dr Mohammad Momim Khan, who takes care of the foreign wing, told TNIE, “This exam, Olum-e-Paye, needs to be taken up after the completion of 2.5 years of the MBBS degree. Anywhere between 700 and 800 students who are in their third year of studies are stuck in Iran now. A majority of the nearly 3,000 Indian students studying medicine in Iran have returned to India for their vacations during the last three weeks.”
In a communication on behalf of AIMSA, Dr Khan, also the president of its J&K unit, appealed to the PM that despite the urgent advisory from the Indian embassy, the exams are preventing them from leaving.
“In the prevailing tense geopolitical and security environment, it is neither safe nor feasible for students to remain in Iran merely to appear in examinations. Their safety and well-being must be treated as the highest national priority,” he said. He added that the uncertainty regarding exams was causing immense psychological stress to students and parents.
AIMSA also appealed to the government to carry out the safe evacuation and repatriation of Indian students and ensure that no student suffers academic loss due to the circumstances beyond their control.
Students speak
Several Indian students in Iran spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity. A female student in Tehran, who is scheduled to take up the March 5 exam, said, “Our parents want us back home immediately. However, this exam is very crucial for our academic career. Phase-I of Olum-e-Paye is held in February or March annually and the second phase is held in September. We request the authorities to hold both the phases together in September.”
The student said the last two months had been challenging for their academic growth. “The internet was suspended most of the time. This is a very challenging exam and mere study of our course books is not enough to clear it. We need to access info from a wide range of sources online and we are not ready to take up the exam due to the lack of preparation too,” she added.
Another student said, “While most of the students still in Iran are the fifth semester medical students who must take up the exam, some are also in their sixth semester and failed to clear it in the previous attempt."