New Delhi: The government remains focused on ensuring that Indian students heading to Uzbekistan for medical studies or other studies receive "quality education" and comply with the National Medical Commission's guidelines in India, the MEA said on Tuesday.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this at his bi-weekly media briefing. He was responding to questions about reports claiming a drastic drop in the number of Indian students wishing to pursue medical education in Uzbekistan and whether any conversations were ongoing between the two countries on this matter.
"We continue to engage with the Uzbek side as far as issues about Indian students are concerned," Jaiswal said.
The MEA spokesperson cited past advisories issued by the Indian Embassy in Tashkent, as well as the advisory from the National Medical Commission (NMC). These advisories provided guidelines to students wishing to pursue education not just in Uzbekistan, but in several other places as well. "Please do have a look at the advisories that have been issued," he said.
In the June 25 advisory, the Embassy advised Indian students who wish to study medicine in Uzbekistan to use only those Education Consultants (ECs) whose businesses are registered in India, should they decide to engage an EC.
"Please note that some newly established institutions, particularly private universities, may lack infrastructure and laboratories, English-speaking faculty, and hence not meet NMC's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) regulations 2021. Students are also advised to come on a student visa to study in Uzbekistan," it said.
"A few cases of students coming on e-visas have come to the Embassy's attention. In case of any difficulty being faced, the Consular Officer of the Embassy may be contacted," the advisory had said.
Jaiswal said in his response that the government remains focused on ensuring Indian students heading to Uzbekistan for education, including medical education, "must receive quality education, and quality medical education, such that they comply with the guidelines of the NMC, which is a body here in India"
"It is also important to ensure that Indian students headed to Uzbekistan for medical studies or other studies are not exploited by unscrupulous elements both here in India as also in Uzbekistan. And as I said, I urge you to look at the advisories that we've issued. You will get a clearer idea as to why things are happening the way they are happening," he added.
