In an ongoing debate as to why Indian students go abroad to study, which was also highlighted by the grieving father of Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagowdar, the student who died in Russian shelling of Kharkiv, KCR made the announcement in the Telangana Assembly today. 

KCR said that 740 students from the state were studying medicine in Ukraine and have now returned from the war-torn nation. “We will write to the Centre to say we will support them,” Rao said in his address.

India recently through Operation Ganga, evacuated over 18,000 students from war-torn Ukraine, who had gone there to study medicine. Notably this incidence founded debates about large masses of Indian students going abroad to study. 

It has been underlined that the cost of studying medicine in the east European country is cheaper than studying medicine in India. 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has been continuing for 21 days now, came as a shock for the Indian students in Ukraine. They were left stranded without adequate food, water and in some cases, even shelter in the war-torn country after after Ukrainian government shut down their airspace on 24 February. 

Regarding the debate of Indian students studying abroad, some argued that only students who fail to clear the medical entrance exams in India go abroad, others argued that India does not have enough medical seats to accommodate all deserving candidates.

The controversy peaked after Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s comment that students study abroad “after failing to qualify” in competitive exams in India.

The comment drew a sharp response from the Naveen Shekharappa Gyanagowdar’s father, who drew attention to the high cost of studying medicine in India. His son, he said, was an intelligent student who had to go to Ukraine as he could not afford to study medicine in India.

“The donation is very high for those wanting to study medicine here. Intelligent students will go abroad to study, and they spend a lesser amount when compared to Karnataka. Here, a student will have to pay in crores to get a medical seat under quota,” he said.