As big as the relief was to reach home safely from a war-torn country, Indian students who returned from Ukrainian universities are in a quandary over their immediate academic future. Returning to their universities now is increasingly becoming a pipe dream, while the Indian Government is yet to make known its decision on accommodating the students – numbering thousands.
Mahaganapati Kashinath Bilimaggad from Gadag, a second-year medical student, has been attending online classes. His teachers are in western Ukraine, which is relatively safer compared to the east, and they are taking online classes from home, he said. “Only some universities are still taking online classes. Sometimes, when there are sirens, classes are dismissed as they have to head to bunkers. We also miss practical classes,” he said. There are so many Indian students that the classes are separate for them, he explained.
With the current arrangement a temporary measure, what does he plan to do? “Going back is ruled out. If the Central Government announces seat allotment, then we will study here. We have also been told we can transfer our courses to Romania and Poland. But I prefer studying in India,” he said.
