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Back from Ukraine: Escaping war to land in the thick of life’s battles

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The troubles of the students returning from Ukraine to India are not over yet. Most of the Indian students have returned to their homes safely, but their future now hangs in the balance.

Among them, there are about 4,000 students who were in the final year of the MBBS course. There is no option available to these students who have spent 5 years of their life and lakhs of rupees on MBBS studies.

Deshraj Advani, an expert and mentor of medical education in the country, says that the biggest problem before the students is that how will it be confirmed that which student has studied in which university for how many years and how was his performance in the last semester.

According to Advani, these students do not even have concrete provisional proof of their partially-completed studies that they have done in Ukraine.

Although such provisional proofs are not recognised anyway, it can at least for the satisfaction of the students, who are hopeful that soon the war between Russia and Ukraine will end and they will be able to go back to Ukraine to complete their studies.

However, even if the war ends soon, it will not be possible for every student to return to Ukraine and resume their studies.

Randeep, a student who returned from Ukraine, said that he was studying at the Medical University in Lugansk State, but his university has been destroyed in missile attacks. In such a situation, he is worried that even after the war gets over, how he would resume his studies there.

According to educationist C.S. Kandpal, there were about 18,000 Indian students studying medicine in Ukraine, it is not possible to provide immediate admission (in Indian colleges) to all these students.

Kandpal says that seats are already full in almost all medical colleges. In such a situation, it does not seem to be possible to have any immediate arrangement for these students.

Students returning from Ukraine are also aware of the current situation. Shreya Sharma, doing MBBS from Vinnitsa National Medical University, Ukraine, said that it is a reality that the Indian government cannot accommodate all 18,000 students here.

Not only this, the rules of the National Medical Commission of India regarding foreign medical graduates are also very strict. Furthermore, there is no such rule in the country according to which those returning from abroad in mid of their MBBS course can get admission in the medical colleges here.

Even for those who have completed medical studies from abroad, there are strict criteria, which they need to fulfill before starting their practice in India.

Despite its small population, Ukraine has about 20 medical universities.

There are three types of universities in Ukraine — National Medical University, National University and State University.

About 6,000 Indian students go to Ukraine every year to study MBBS and BDS.

In India, every year about eight lakh students appear for the MBBS entrance exam, out of these, only one lakh students get admission in Indian medical colleges. This is the reason why every year thousands of Indian students have to move to other countries, including Ukraine, to study medicine.

According to the Government of India, there are a total of 88,120 MBBS seats and as many as 27,498 BDS seats in government and private medical colleges in the country, and about 50 per cent of MBBS seats are in private colleges.

Data suggests that only five per cent of the total students who appear in the NEET exam get admission in the government medical colleges.

Devansh Gupta, an Indian student who has studied MBBS from Ukraine, says that in government medical colleges in India, a student needs to spend around Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh on his fees to complete his MBBS. Whereas in private medical colleges, each student has to spend more than Rs 80 lakh to complete the course.

“On the other hand, the best private medical colleges in Ukraine charge fees up to Rs 5 lakh annually, due to which the entire MBBS course gets completed in about Rs 25 to Rs 30 lakh,” Gupta asserts while explaining why many students flee to Ukraine for studying medicine.

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241 dead, one survivor as Air India Dreamliner crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad: Air India

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New Delhi, June 13: In what is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport.

The aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing 241 people on board.

The ill-fated flight had 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew, and two pilots. According to officials, only one person, a British national of Indian origin seated in 11A, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The aircraft took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 p.m. (IST) on Thursday before losing control moments later and crashing into a densely populated area, igniting a massive blaze and triggering emergency response teams across the city.

Air India confirmed the accident in an official statement on X: “UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital.”

The airline also shared the nationality breakdown of passengers: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

“Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones. A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support,” the statement added.

The national carrier has pledged full cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the crash and has established dedicated helplines for families seeking information.

Domestic callers can reach the support team at 1800 5691 444, while international callers are advised to dial +91 8062779200.

Regular updates will be provided through Air India’s official website and its X handle.

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Plastic nurdle spill from sunken cargo ship reaches TN’s Dhanushkodi sanctuary, raising alarm

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Chennai, June 10: A plastic nurdle spill from the sunken cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 has spread into the newly declared Dhanushkodi Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district, threatening one of India’s most fragile coastal ecosystems.

The MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged vessel, sank off the Kochi coast a few weeks ago while carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials, 12 with calcium carbide, 367 tonnes of furnace oil, and 84 tonnes of diesel.

The ship’s cargo manifest remains undisclosed, fuelling speculation about the full extent of environmental risk.

Dhanushkodi Sanctuary, located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, supports 128 species of birds — including Greater and Lesser Flamingos — and is home to sea turtles, crustaceans, molluscs, and fish. Its dunes, marshes, and seagrass beds form part of the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds.

The nurdles — tiny plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing — resemble fish eggs and can be deadly to marine life. When ingested, they cause internal blockages, starvation, and often death. They also absorb toxins, entering the food chain and posing long-term health hazards.

About 80 bags, each weighing 25 kilograms, have reportedly washed ashore along a 12-km coastal stretch. Affected sites include the Dhanushkodi old church, Irattaithalai, Mugandharayan Chathiram, Gothanda Ramar temple, and Patchappatti village.

Carried by ocean currents from the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanniyakumari coast, the spill now threatens the adjacent Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, home to vital coral reefs and seagrass beds.

Experts warn these habitats could be smothered by plastic debris, blocking sunlight and disrupting photosynthesis.

Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon said, “We’ve identified between 15 and 30 nurdle bags along the coast. A special team has been deployed for cleanup, and additional teams are monitoring for further debris.”

He urged the public not to panic, stating that swift action was underway.

The disaster evokes memories of the 2021 X-Press Pearl incident in Sri Lanka, where 1,680 tonnes of nurdles led to mass marine deaths and crippled fisheries.

Studies showed severe impacts on plankton and larval life forms, threatening entire food chains.

Cleanup efforts in Ramanathapuram face challenges due to the nurdles’ buoyancy and small size, worsened by monsoon waves that break them into microplastics.

With the 61-day annual fishing ban nearing its end, fishermen fear reduced fish catches and consumer hesitancy could harm their livelihoods if the spill worsens.

Environmentalists are calling for urgent intervention, cargo transparency, and long-term containment measures to prevent irreversible damage to one of India’s most critical marine ecosystems.

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Eight Punjab and Haryana HC judges take lead to boost Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack

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Srinagar, June 9: To give a boost to Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack, eight judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court are visiting the valley along with their families.

The visit of the legal personalities along with their families carries a powerful message for the revival of tourism in Kashmir, which got shattered after the Pahalgam terror attack.

On April 22, Pakistan-backed terrorists of Lashkar-e-Kashmir (LeT) killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local pony owner.

The pony owner sacrificed his life while trying to protect the tourists from the bullets of the terrorists.

The terror attack caused outrage in the entire country, and to avenge the killings of innocent civilians, the Indian Armed Forces carried out airstrikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.

In retaliation for India’s attack on terrorist infrastructure, Pakistan resorted to heavy mortar shelling on civilian facilities in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts.

Eighteen civilians were killed in Pakistan shelling, 13 of them in Poonch district, in addition to the destruction of scores of homes, shops, a temple, a mosque, a church and a Gurudwara.

The itinerary of the visiting high court judges includes visits to the Mughal Gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, Shikara rides on the Dal Lake, a visit to the historic Pari Mahal and buying a few handicrafts at the local market.

There could be no better omen for the revival of tourism in Kashmir than the decision of the honourable justices of the High Court to come here along with their families.

Coinciding with the visit of these dignitaries, local tour and travel operators and hotel owners are reporting a gradual rise in the tourist bookings that had virtually stopped after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Tour and travel operators and others connected with the tourist industry have expressed hope that the visit by the most respected legal dignitaries, like the high court judges, will restore confidence among visitors, both domestic and foreign, that Kashmir is a safe tourist destination.

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