Losing opportunity & life due to financial-unaffordability is cruel!

Thousands of young Indians pursue their higher studies, especially Medicine in Ukraine. The question ‘Why go to Ukraine for studies when you have India?’ naturally will arise in everyone’s mind.

One student, Naveen Shekharappa from Karnataka, had gone to Ukraine to pursue medicine. Though hailing from an economically poor background, Naveen managed to raise funds with the support of his family relatives and went to Ukraine because it was considered to be affordable when compared with existing options here in India.

Naveen, as you would know by now, was killed in a bomb blast in Kharkiv, Ukraine on March 1 during the Russian-Ukrainian War. The question that lingers in the mind is, ‘Why did not Naveen seek government quota in his motherland?’ It appears he is brilliant and was not lacking brilliance of any sort. According to his father Mr.Shekharappa Gyanagoudar, Naveen secured 97% in his school exams.

His dream was to become a doctor but according to Siddappa, a relative of Naveen, the boy could not get admission in Karnataka.

Why was Naveen unable to get admission to a college in Karnataka? What were the causes? These are the questions that need answers.

But what we know so far is that the family found the fee offered in Ukraine to be more affordable than the fee that was set here.

NDTV reported Siddappa saying “Since the medical seat under management quota is very expensive here, he chose to pursue MBBS in Ukraine for much less money. Naveen took the decision to study in Ukraine”

Naveen’s father was reported saying “The donation is very high for those wanting to study medicine here. Intelligent students will go abroad to study, and they spend a lesser amount when compared to Karnataka. Here, a student will have to pay in crores to get a medical seat under quota”

The same was shared by Naveen’s cousin Gangadhar Gyanagoudar. “Naveen was a bright student from the beginning. However, as the family could not afford the cost of medical education here, he was sent to study medicine in Ukraine,” reported The Hindu.

Naveen’s case is perplexing because he was not an academically average student who would find solace in the Management quota to realize his higher education dream nor was he a financially rich student to go to a foreign country for studies.

“They come from a very poor background. His father worked for a private company. After he quit, he came back to the village. Shekharappa and Naveen’s mother always wanted their son to become a doctor. We all contributed money to send him to Ukraine,” according to Siddappa, reported in NDTV.

So getting admission to government medical college seems the ideal option for a financially poor candidate with good marks in school exams. But Naveen chose abroad. What is the reason for his decision?

Maybe this loss could have been avoided if he had received admission in India, and if the fee was low.

Article by David Karunakaran.S

(This article is an opinion of the writer, and does not reflect in any way the stand of the organization)