Ukraine returned Indian FMGs allowed to complete course, 2 years CRMI, says Govt

Ukraine returned Indian FMGs: 2,510 students are currently in Ukraine studying in offline mode, 2,952 students are studying in online mode and 242 students are studying in third countries under academic mobility programme, said Bharati Pravin Pawar, MoS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of state of Health and Family Welfare apprised the Rajya Sabha that as per Ministry of External Affairs, 5,715 Indian students are enrolled in Ukrainian universities in semester starting September 2023. Among them, 2,510 students are currently in Ukraine studying in offline mode, 2,952 students are studying in online mode and 242 students are studying in third countries under academic mobility programme.

Also read: NEET: 485 UG, 247 PG medical seats remained vacant in 2023, says Minister in Rajya Sabha

NMC's Scheme for Ukraine returned Indian FMGs

While commenting on Ukraine returned Indian medical students, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar said that the government considered the hardships faced by the medical students who returned to the country due to the Ukraine and Russia war. To address their issues, National Medical Commission (NMC) has devised a scheme with following provisions:

• Indian students who were in the last year of their undergraduate medicine course and have subsequently completed their studies and granted certificate of completion of course/degree on or before June 30, 2022, are permitted to appear in Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG)Examination.
• After qualifying the FMG examination, such foreign medical graduates are required to undergo Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of two years enabling them for registration.
• The NMC has conveyed No-objection to the Academic Mobility Program offered by Ukraine i.e. temporary relocation (for the period of conflict) to other universities. Under this relaxation, the FMGs returning from Ukraine are allowed to avail one time opportunity to complete their remaining medical course. The Degree may however be awarded by the University where they shall migrate. Vide Notice dated November 22, 2023, the NMC has extended the relaxation to such students for the period of 3 months.

Moreover, in order to increase the opportunities for Medical Education in India, the government has increased number of medical colleges and MBBS seats. Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for establishment of new medical colleges by upgrading district/ referral hospital, 157 new medical colleges have been approved, out of which 108 are already functional. There is an increase of 82% in Medical Colleges from 387 before 2014 to 706 as of now. The MBBS seats are increased to 112% from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,08,940 as of now and PG seats have been increased to 127% from 31,185 before 2014 to 70,674 as of now, added the minister.

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