NEET UG must for foreign MBBS graduates to obtain eligibility certificate; NMC regulations explained

NEW DELHI: Foreign MBBS graduates will have to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) to obtain the essential eligibility criteria for practicing medicine in India, the Supreme Court recently upheld the guidelines set by NMC and said that it has “absolutely no reason to interfere with the regulations”.

Stating that the NMC regulation “does not in any manner conflict with the enactment”, the top court said: “After the amended regulations came into effect if any candidate chose to obtain admission in a foreign institution for pursuing a course leading to a primary medical qualification, they cannot seek for an exemption from the regulations; which lays down essential eligibility criteria for practicing medicine within the country.”

However, this rule does not restrict students' right to practice medicine outside India.

The apex court was hearing a petition seeking a one-time exemption from the NEET qualification criterion and the regulations. The bench dismissed the case and said the provision was “not arbitrary or unreasonable”.

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NMC regulations for foreign MBBS graduates

The erstwhile Medical Council of India (MCI), now the National Medical Commission (NMC), had provided a list of foreign medical colleges for MBBS based on the information received from the Indian Embassy and High Commission of India.

In addition to the eligibility criteria for admission to the MBBS course specified in the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997, the NMC incorporated another rule in the Foreign Medical Institution Regulation, 2002 mandating qualification in NEET for students desirous of pursuing UG medical courses abroad.

A notification issued in 2018 stated that such students have to qualify for the prescribed screening test to obtain registration in India, in addition to fulfilling the eligibility criteria laid down in the guidelines.

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The NMC does not endorse any foreign medical colleges for MBBS or equivalent courses. Instead, it provides a list of foreign medical universities for MBBS based on the information from the Indian Embassy or the High Commission of India. It also advised students and parents to confirm the fee structure and details of the course such as content, duration, and internship, are equivalent to the MBBS courses in India.

The petitions challenged the regulation brought out by the Medical Council of India in the Foreign Medical Institution Regulation, 2002 requiring further eligibility criteria concerning pursuing medical courses in foreign universities.

What does NMC regulation say?

The NMC has listed four eligibility criteria for students awarded MBBS qualification and desirous of getting “provisional or permanent” registration with the NMC or any state medical council on or after March 15, 2002. Such candidates must qualify for the screening test.

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MBBS Abroad: 4 eligibility criteria

1. The students should be citizens of India or have been granted overseas citizenship of India and should process educational qualifications recognised by the commission for awarding certificates for practising medicine in India.
2. Students who have obtained eligibility certificates from the NMC as specified in Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002. “This requirement shall not be necessary with respect to Indian citizens or Overseas Citizens of India who have acquired the medical qualifications from foreign medical institutions or have obtained admission in foreign medical institutions before 15th March 2002,” the norms read.
3. Students who have graduated from a foreign university on or after May 2018 will have to mandatorily qualify the NEET UG. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has been conducting the NEET UG exam since 2019. This year, the NEET UG 2025 will be held on May 4. NEET UG results will be treated as the eligibility certificate for such students. The NEET results will be considered valid for 3 years from the date of declaration of result,
4. If a student does not qualify the screening test, but holds a MBBS medical qualification from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States (the US), and holds a postgraduate medical qualification from these countries has been recognized for enrolment as medical practitioner in that country.