HYDERABAD: During the weekend, parents of students from Ahmedabad who are enrolled in universities in Ukraine and returned home post the Russia- Ukraine war launched a signature campaign demanding that their wards be accommodated in colleges in the country. Here in Hyderabad, CE speaks to students who returned to the city and are making numerous attempts and trying possible solutions to complete their academic courses without any speedbreakers.
Jyothsna Bhargavi Mandapakala, an MBBS student in her 5th year at the Zaporizhzhia State Medical University, Ukraine says that after having reached the city safe and sound, the worry shifted to completion of the remainder of their course/semester. “We reached Hyderabad on March 5th. We grew worried about our future. Things happened way too soon to process it all.
Our university later confirmed that we would have online classes for the time being. We breathed a sigh of relief. We thought things would settle down in a couple of months but that didn’t happen. We’re now more apprehensive about how things are going to proceed, in terms of our physical classes, given medicine is not a course you’d succeed in learning over the internet,” she says. Jyothsna, along with her peers met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Reddy on March 21 to request and discuss possible outcomes.
“We already missed out on a lot because of the Covid pandemic, we can’t let our final years go down the drain like this. Practical classes play a huge role in our academics,” she adds. She and other students also wrote to Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala governments for help: “We sought permission to continue the remainder of our course in universities in our respective states.” The students are also looking at continuing their semesters if relocated (with help from the government) at universities in Asia or Eastern Europe. Dr Divya Reddy, an Indian Women Associate Professor at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia State Medical University, was the one who helped evacuate over 1,500 Indian students and brought them home.
She, whose efforts earned her the title Iron Lady, tells CE that some students have also approached the Supreme Court regarding the matter. “We filed a petition with the Supreme Cour t when several of our pleas for help fell on deaf ears. People spoke up and promised help at the time, but after the fire regarding the matter died down, they backed out and forgot to keep their word. Hence, the need to reach out to the apex court to help solve the issue.” Ravi Teja, a 6th year student at the Zaporizhzhia State Medical University has been part of the many deliberation talks held in the city and across the country regarding the future of the students.
“The government and people like Dr Divya have been very helpful and proactive in bringing us back home safely. Sadly our future is now at stake. While we’re grateful to our professors at our university for the online classes even in a crisis like a war, we need a concrete plan to be chalked out for a hassle- free future. Practical classes can’t be held over apps like Zoom, so a quick and good call must be made for thousands of students whose future hangs by a thread held by these online classes,” Ravi says. Dr Divya, along with the students and help from a couple of embassies, has been travelling to Eastern Europe and now Asia, to hold talks with universities that can accommodate the students to finish their courses without major bumps.
“We hope the government will help these students - monetary and documentation wise,” says Dr Divya. Bogomolets Medical University, Zaporizhzhia University and Petro Mohyla National University, among others, are some universities that the student community is holding talks with. They hope that the Telangana and Central governments will come to their aid in securing a seat in a physical University to complete their courses.
Dr Divya, along with the students and help from a couple of embassies, has been travelling to Eastern Europe and now Asia, to hold talks with universities