West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, 16 March, announced special arrangements to accommodate the students who fled war-torn Ukraine and were forced to leave studies midway in the state’s medical and engineering colleges.
The chief minister has also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking the Centre to consider relaxing guidelines for internships and jobs in the private sector.
In the letter, dated Wednesday, 16 March, shared by news agency ANI, Banerjee states:
“As per the current guidelines of the National Medical Council (NMC), students who are eligible for the internship, will be allowed to undergo the internship in government medical colleges of the state and they will be also paid the stipend at par with the other candidates.”
It added, “The present stipulations of the NMC mandate that only those students who qualify the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET-UG) can only get admission into the medical colleges. Many of the students who have returned form Ukraine do not meet this requirement. It is requested that the relevant guidelines may be relaxed as a very special case to accommodate these students.”
She also said that she has spoken with the chief secretary to take up the issues with the NMC and urges for the PM’s “urgent intervention.”
The letter concludes, “I also request you that as students who have returned to other states are facing similar problems, the steps that may be taken by NMC be implemented for other states as well.”
Will Give Internships, Stipends To Ukraine-Returned Students: West Bengal CM
Banerjee also announced that the West Bengal government will arrange for the education of students at a nominal cost. The state government will grant internships to students in government medical colleges and will be given a stipend. First-year medical students may start afresh in medical educational institutes in the State.
The Bengal CM said that the State will seek permission from the NMC to allow second- and third-year medical students to study at private medical colleges.
The state will also write to the medical council that students in their fourth, fifth, and sixth years of college be allowed to practice in Bengal.
Banerjee also noted that since there are fewer government colleges, the government will seek permission from NMC to offer scholarships to students so that they can study in private colleges.
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