NEW DELHI: The spread of
coronavirus will impact
Indian students studying in
China as well as those wieghing options to go to China, according to education consultants.
Experts estimate that there are around 20,000-25,000 Indian students in China, with 80-90% of them studying medicine. China is a popular study destination for medical students due to lower fees and better infrastructure compared to private medical colleges in India. Some Indian students had returned during the winter break and some more returned after the outbreak of coronavirus, and they are not sure when they can go back.
While students are still optimistic that things will be restored to normalcy soon, experts are not so sure. “We cannot predict when the virus will be brought under control. There are no signs that we are going to get rid of this quickly,” said Rajiv Singh, co-founder, CollegeDekho.
For instance, a circular issued by international students’ office at Tongji University, and shared with ET by a student, says “none of the students are allowed to return to the campus earlier than the yet-to-be-announced beginning date of the spring semester”.
A medicine course in China, which takes six years to complete, costs anywhere between ?20 and ?30 lakh, says Rajiv Ganjoo, founder CEO of Admitas. Most institutes in China have asked students to evacuate and leave for home, he says.
While Ganjoo thinks the Chinese authorities will speed up the course and finish it within the stipulated time, Singh feels the students could still be facing a delay of 4-6 months.
This in turn may prolong loan repayments, and delay when the final year students can take the
foreign medical graduates exam (FMGE), which foreign graduates need to clear to be able to practice in India.
FMGE is conducted twice a year – in December and June.
The current virus outbreak in China is going to be a dampener for the incoming batch, say experts. “At least the new batches may see a significant drop in Indian students joining,” said Amitabh Jhingan, partner and education sector leader, EY India.