The Minister of State (Health & Family Welfare), Anupriya Patel said in a written reply at the Lok Sabha on 16 March that students who have obtained a medical degree abroad and wish to get MCI registration would have to pass the FMGE screening test.

As per section 13 (4B) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, Indian students desirous to get admission in a medical institute abroad have to obtain Eligibility Certificate from the MCI. Further, such persons who have obtained medical degree from an institution abroad and desirous to get permanent or provisional registration with MCI or State Medical Council have to qualify a Screening Test i.e. FMGE.

It has come to notice of the Ministry that medical institutions / Universities of foreign countries admit Indian students without proper assessment or screening of the students’ academic ability to cope up with medical education which results that many students fail to qualify the Screening Test.

Accordingly, MCI with the prior approval of the Central Government hasamended Screening Test Regulations, 2002 and the Eligibility Requirement for Taking Admission in an Undergraduate Medical Course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002 for making it mandatory for the Indian students to qualify National – Eligibility – cum – Entrance (NEET) to pursue foreign medical course. The result of NEET shall be deemed to be treated as the Eligibility Certificate for such persons, provided that such persons fulfill the eligibility criteria for admission to the MBBS course prescribed in the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997.

The provisions of the said regulations are being implemented prospectively i.e. May – 2018. Thus, the students who have already gone abroad to pursue primary medical course by taking Eligibility Certificate from MCI are exempted from qualifying NEET.