SC allows foreign returned Indian medicos to clear MBBS in two attempts

The top court of India has told the Centre to allow Indian medicos returned from China, Ukraine and the Philippines to clear the MBBS examination in two attempts instead of a single chance. The court said that these students will be given two chances to clear both Part I and Part II examinations of MBBS.

Supreme Court has given its order on the pleas to allow Ukraine, China and the Philippines returned students to continue education in India. The court has said that these medicos who returned to India due to reasons like the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia and Ukraine war can now complete their MBBS in India and for that, they will get two attempts to clear the MBBS exams.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati submitted in Supreme Court that a committee formed under the chairmanship of the Directorate General of Health Services with representations from the National Medical Council had recommended that the student returnees in their penultimate year and who studied online could be given a chance to clear the MBBS final exam.

A written statement by the Centre stated that a single chance to clear the MBBS Final, both Part I and Part II Examinations (theory and practical) would be given as per existing guidelines without being enrolled in any of the Indian colleges, within a period of one year, as reported by Deccan Herald.

"The theory examination would be conducted centrally and physically, on the pattern of the Indian MBBS examination while the practical examination would be conducted by designated government medical colleges. The students would be required to complete a two-year-long compulsory rotatory internship after clearing the two examinations, the first year of which would be free and the second year paid as decided by the NMC. It was also clarified that the recommendations were a one-time, emergency measure and could not be the basis for future decisions," said the Centre.

On the Centre's response, senior advocates S Nagamuthu and Gopal Sankaranarayanan, and others, appearing for the students, raised concern about a single attempt being given, along with the other issue of the syllabus.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath took record of the submission and said "We accept the report of the committee, subject to a minor modification that the student being offered a single chance to clear MBBS Final, both Part I and Part II Examinations, be read as student being offered single/two chances to clear both the examinations. We clarify that the two chances will be for both Part I and Part II examinations."

Read more:

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• 70 Ukraine returned Indian medicos crack FMGE exam