Tamil Nadu CM's plea to PM on students returning from Ukraine: ‘Uncertainity…’

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter to allow the affected students - who have returned from war-hit Ukraine - to continue their studies in medical colleges in India "from the stage from which their studies have been disrupted". A similar appeal was put out in a tweet a day before by BJP MP Varun Gandhi. Thousands have returned from the war-hit nation in the last 12 days after Russia launched a surprise attack on February 24. The government has been arranging special flights to bring the Indians back from Ukraine's neighbouring countries as the airspace in the conflict-hit state remains closed.

"Since the begining of the conflict, over 1,200 medical students have returned to Tamil Nadu and the remaining students are also expected to return in the coming days. The current situation has already resulted in the disruption of their studies and also threatens their future careers," the Tamil Nadu chief minister wrote in his letter.

The students may not be able to return to their colleges in Ukraine, Stalin underlined, and stressed that "the uncertainity is likely to prevail even after the cessation of hostilities and till there is (a) restoration of normalcy in the universities."

Drawing attention to the "emerging vital need to address the uncertain future being faced by thousands of students for continuing their studies," he appealed for PM Modi's "urgent intervention in taking up the issue with the National Medical Commission and the relevant ministries".

Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter to allow the affected students - who have returned from war-hit Ukraine - to continue their studies in medical colleges in India "from the stage from which their studies have been disrupted". A similar appeal was put out in a tweet a day before by BJP MP Varun Gandhi. Thousands have returned from the war-hit nation in the last 12 days after Russia launched a surprise attack on February 24. The government has been arranging special flights to bring the Indians back from Ukraine's neighbouring countries as the airspace in the conflict-hit state remains closed.

"Since the begining of the conflict, over 1,200 medical students have returned to Tamil Nadu and the remaining students are also expected to return in the coming days. The current situation has already resulted in the disruption of their studies and also threatens their future careers," the Tamil Nadu chief minister wrote in his letter.

The students may not be able to return to their colleges in Ukraine, Stalin underlined, and stressed that "the uncertainity is likely to prevail even after the cessation of hostilities and till there is (a) restoration of normalcy in the universities."

Drawing attention to the "emerging vital need to address the uncertain future being faced by thousands of students for continuing their studies," he appealed for PM Modi's "urgent intervention in taking up the issue with the National Medical Commission and the relevant ministries".|#+|

On Sunday, BJP MP Varun Gandhi had also urged in a tweet: "We will have to relax rules to accomodate these students in the Indian institutions. Their worries and their parents' worries should be our worries."

The safety of the students in Ukraine and concerns over their future has been raised by several opposition leaders as Russia's offensive continues.

PM Modi on Monday, sources said, spoke to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on the conflict.