Foreign returned medical students: SC directs Centre, NMC to find out solution
says career will be left in lurch
New Delhi, Dec 9: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre and the National Medical Commission (NMC) to find out a solution to accommodate those undergraduate medical students who have returned from foreign countries like Ukraine and China, saying their career will be left in lurch if no solution is found at this stage.
A bench of justices B R Gavai and Vikram Nath said if necessary, the Centre may appoint a committee of experts to find a solution to the problem of the students.
The top court said it hoped the Centre will give due importance to its suggestion and find out a solution to save the career of the students who are an asset of the country.
"If no solution is found, their entire career could be left in lurch apart from families put in sufferance.
"We find that this is a fit case for solution by experts. We refrain from issuing directions. We request Union of India, in consultation with National Medical Council to find out a solution to address this human problem," the bench said.
The top court noted that most of the students have completed their courses but have not been able to undergo their clinical training.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, submitted that in medical course, practical training is of utmost importance.
She said academic studies cannot take the colour of practical training and said the decision of not incorporating the students has been taken after consulting the Ministry of Health, Home and External Affairs.
The apex court said, "They are justified in observing that the court does not possess expertise. However, there are myriad situations which are beyond control like Covid which has been unimaginable.
"It is after a century that the humanity had to face such a situation. We find that the career of almost 500 students who have already put in five years of study are at stake. They have completed seven semesters physically and three semesters through online."
The top court said it is in full agreement with the Centre that academic training cannot take place of practical training.
"However, the parents of the students must have spent huge amount in the study and if no solution is found, their entire career could be left in lurch apart from families put at sufferance," the bench said.
The Centre had earlier said it cannot accommodate the medical students studying in universities of Ukraine, who have returned to the country due to war there, in Indian medical institutes or universities as it "would disrupt the entire medical education system" here.
The top court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by undergraduate medical students of first to fourth-year batches in their respective foreign medical colleges/universities.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
