No permission by NMC to accommodate foreign students in Indian institutions, says Health Ministry

NMC public notices convey its No-objection to the Academic Mobility Program offered by Ukraine i.e. temporary relocation (for the period of conflict) to other universities.

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has not given permission to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute/university. Around 20,000 Indian medical students studying in Ukraine had to leave the country in February-March, due to the Russian invasion. These students have been demanding to be given admission in Indian medical colleges and have also approached courts for the same. 

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on a question related to the admission of Ukraine-returned medical students stated that no permission has been given by the NMC to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical university.

It has stated that the National Medical Commission has devised a scheme under which Indian students who were in the last year of their undergraduate medicine course and have subsequently completed their studies on or before 30th June 2022, are permitted to appear in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination.
According to the Health Ministry, Foreign Medical Students/Graduates are either covered under “Screening Test Regulations, 2002” or “Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021”. There are no provisions in the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 & the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 as well as the Regulations to accommodate or transfer medical students from any foreign medical institutes to Indian medical colleges.

It has stated that students who were in the last year of their undergraduate medicine course (due to COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine conflict etc had to leave their foreign medical institute) and have subsequently completed their studies also have been granted certificate of completion of course/degree by the respective institute, on or before 30th June 2022, are permitted to appear in Foreign Medical Graduate Examination.
Thereafter, upon qualifying the FMG examination, such foreign medical graduates are required to undergo a Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of two years to make up for the clinical training which could not be physically attended during the undergraduate medicine course in the foreign institute as also to familiarize them with the practice of medicine under Indian conditions. Foreign medical graduates can get registration after completing the CRMI for two years.
The NMC has also issued Public Notices conveying its No-objection to the Academic Mobility Program offered by Ukraine i.e. temporary relocation (for the period of conflict) to other universities applicable in either of the 29 countries as mentioned in the Public Notice. A few students have opted for Academic Mobility Program.

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