- The harrowing television visuals of Russian military vehicles snaking into the Ukrainian streets and subsequently destroying vital targets along the way will make even the strongest of humans feel disturbed. It is absolutely humane to feel sorry for the miseries of thousands of innocent people whose lives are shattered beyond redemption owing to the uncalled-for misadventure of the Russian strongman. Of course, I am not dedicating the article to delve over the merits and demerits of the incursion but would wish to look at another equally troubling trend that needs holistic understanding and pragmatic address. We all know how education is accorded top-most priority and importance in our country from all concerned stakeholders.
PC: Tyler O’Neil
- Across the world, right from the parents to government authorities, emphasis is always laid on getting educated to not only improve the individual’s future but also to ensure the progress of the nation at large. The general Indian public as well as the governments here are not an exception to this norm either. We all have experienced the impassioned exhortations from our parents, elders, teachers, and the ilk on the virtues of acquiring quality education. This helps us to be counted amongst the achievers who herald glories to self, family, and the nation per se. In a country as diverse, huge, and populous as India, obtaining uniform acceptance always poses a definite challenge. One factor that elicits blind approval is none other than the topic of education.
- No one in his/her right senses will dispute the importance of provisioning affordable and quality education despite encountering differences in other related areas. People will be unanimous in vouching that education alone would allow their wards to breach the prevalent typical societal imbalances to emerge successfully and be counted. This being the case, millions of us would be experiencing a sense of déjà vu and profoundly distressed looking at the sad death of a young medical education aspirant owing to the ongoing shelling in Ukraine. As reports suggest, there are more than 20,000 students from India pursuing medical education in Ukraine alone. The reason is not hard to decipher as the fee structure in private medical institutions in Ukraine is more affordable than here.
PC: Royal Next Academy
- Various reports on the matter amply demonstrate that the fee is almost 1/3rd of what private medical colleges in India charge. We are well aware of how difficult it is to find a seat in Indian private medical colleges with exorbitant fees ruling the roost. Forget about getting a seat allotted in the government institutes unless someone is ranked amongst the very top in the qualifying exams. The moot point to ponder over here is why the state is consistently failing aspiring students wishing to pursue higher education within the familiar surroundings of the country. It doesn’t help either to read how 80% of the overseas educated medical students fail to clear the necessary licensing examinations in India to start practicing.
- Despite aspiring to be counted amongst the powerful nations, why the nation is not living up to the expectations of thousands of young seekers looking at opportunities to fulfill a basic necessity like affordable higher education? Why cannot the stakeholders like governments, intelligentsia, thinkers, educators, academicians, political leaders, and the ilk join hands together in ensuring our student community need not get displaced whilst seeking higher education, especially medicine? The present unraveling scenario grossly mirrors how badly we are failing students depriving them of home-grown opportunities to pursue what they wish. Will the powers-that-be wake up now in the face of warmongering to seriously address this issue? Hopefully, so.
