The National Medical Commission (NMC) has been constituted by an act of Parliament known as National Medical Commission Act, 2019 which came into force on 25.9.2020 by gazette notification dated 24.9.2020. The Board of Governors in supersession of Medical Council of India constituted under section 3A of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 stands dissolved thereafter.
The Aim of the National Medical Commission are to (i) improve access to quality and affordable medical education, (ii) ensure availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals in all parts of the country; (iii) promote equitable and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes services of medical professionals accessible to all the citizens; (iv) encourages medical professionals to adopt latest medical research in their work and to contribute to research; (v) objectively assess medical institutions periodically in a transparent manner; (vi) maintain a medical register for India; (vi) enforce high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services; (vii) have an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
IMPORTANT: It may be noted that the erstwhile Medical Council of India had provided a list of foreign Medical Institutions/Universities for MBBS or equivalent course based upon the information received from the Indian Embassy/High Commission of India concerned. However, it is to state that the 2018 notification to the Screening Test Regulations clearly states that all Indian Citizens/Overseas Citizen of India who have obtained a primary medical qualification from any Medical Institution outside India have to qualify the prescribed Screening test for purposes of obtaining registration in India in addition to fulfilling other eligibility criteria stated in the regulations. It is to clarify that the National Medical Commission does not endorse any list of Foreign Medical Institutions/ Universities for MBBS or equivalent course. The public at large is advised that before taking admission in MBBS or its equivalent course in a university outside India, confirmation of the fee structure, details of the course (which should be commensurate with the MBBS courses in India such as content, duration and internship) etc. should be directly obtained from the University/ Institution concerned.
Screening Test for Indian Citizens/Overseas Citizen of India Who Have obtained Primary Medical Qualification from Foreign Medical Institution
An Indian citizen or a person who has been granted Overseas Citizenship of India possessing a primary medical qualification awarded by any medical institution outside India who is desirous of getting provisional or permanent registration with the National Medical Commission or any State Medical Council on or after 15.03.2002 shall have to qualify a screening test conducted by the prescribed authority for that purpose.
Eligibility Criteria: No person shall be allowed to appear in the screening test unless:
(1) he/she is a Citizen of India or has been granted Overseas Citizenship of India and possess any primary medical qualification to be a recognized qualification for enrolment as medical practitioner in the country in which the institution awarding the said qualification is situated.
(2) he/ she had obtained ‘Eligibility Certificate’ from the National Medical Commission (or the erstwhile Medical Council of India) as per the ‘Eligibility Requirement for taking admission in an undergraduate medical course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002’. This requirement shall not be necessary in respect of Indian citizens or Overseas Citizens of India who have acquired the medical qualifications from foreign medical institutions or have obtained admission in foreign medical institution before 15th March 2002.
(3) Indian Citizens/Overseas Citizen of India intending to obtain primary medical qualification from any medical institution outside India, on or after May 2018, shall have to mandatorily qualify the ‘National -Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test for Admission to MBBS course’. The result of the ‘National- Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Admission to MBBS course’ shall deem to be treated as the Eligibility Certificate for such persons, provided that such persons fulfil the Eligibility Criteria for admission to the MBBS course prescribed in the Regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997.”
Furthermore, the result of NEET shall be valid for a period of three (3) years from the date of declaration of result, entitling a candidate to pursue MBBS or equivalent medical course including pre-medical/language course, if any, followed by MBBS or equivalent medical course.
(4) Provided further that a person seeking provisional or permanent registration shall not have to qualify the Screening Test if he/she holds an Undergraduate medical qualification from Australia/Canada/New Zealand/United Kingdom/United States of America and the holder thereof also been awarded a Post Graduate medical qualification in Australia/Canada/New Zealand/United Kingdom/United States of America and has been recognized for enrolment as medical practitioner in that country.
.The screening test shall be conducted as per the Schedule of examination announced by the Prescribed Authority. The procedure of conducting the test shall be in accordance with the Scheme announced by the National Medical Commission in this regard.
.The Prescribed Authority shall intimate the result of the Screening Test to the candidates as well as to the National Medical Commission and the State Medical Councils. The unsuccessful candidates shall also be appropriately informed. The candidates who qualify the Screening Test may apply to the National Medical Commission or to any State Medical Council for provisional registration/ permanent registration.
