Medical students returned from Ukraine can take key exam from India

Indian medical students, who returned home from Ukraine following the Russian invasion, will be allowed to take a key examination from India.

Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova has conveyed it to India during her three-day visit to New Delhi.

"On the issue of Indian medical students, the Deputy foreign minister mentioned that Ukraine will allow foreign medical students to take the Unified State Qualification Exam in their country of domicile," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

Around 19,000 Indian students were studying in Ukraine when the Russian invasion began in February last year.

According to estimates, approximately 2,000 Indian students have gone back to Ukraine and they are residing mostly in the western part of the East European country.

Under the initiative of the Ukranian authorities, the students who are still in India can join online classes and have the option to appear for the Unified State Qualification Exam (USQE) in India.

During the visit, the first deputy foreign minister held bilateral talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the MEA and called on Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi.

"Dzhaparova, during her visit, highlighted Ukraine's desire to build a stronger and closer relationship with India," the MEA said.

"Dzhaparova's visit to India would facilitate cooperation between the two countries," it said.

Earlier, Dzhaparova said that Ukraine's relationship with Pakistan is not directed against India's interests and that her country's military ties with Islamabad began around three decades back.

Referring to the war in Ukraine, the deputy foreign minister said as a global leader and current chair of the G20, India can play a greater role in bringing peace and hoped that Indian officials will visit Kyiv soon.

With inputs from PTI