MCI nod for foreign univ despite negative NEET marks

Kolkata: How would you react if a few years down the line you come across the fact that the doctor you had been consulting at a private hospital, a government establishment or at a chamber in the locality had obtained MBBS degree from a foreign country after getting negative marks out of total 720 marks in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

Believe it or not in this year's NEET examination, many candidates have got negative marks and a sizeable number of these students are all set to pursue medical studies from abroad. For example, a candidate has been declared fit for pursuing MBBS from a foreign university by the Medical Council of India (MCI) after he scored minus 43 (-43) out of 720 total marks in NEET 2017.

The candidate in question obtained minus 10 (-10) in physics, minus 10 (-10) in chemistry out of total 180 marks in each subject. The candidate obtained minus 23 (-23) in Biology out of total 360.

Earlier, when the NEET was not introduced in the country, many such students went abroad to study medical without appearing for any entrance examination. They were allowed to go to foreign universities on the basis of twelve standard marks. It has been learnt from highly-placed sources that obtaining medical degrees from universities in countries like China, Russia, Bangladesh, Philippines and others is nothing new and the custom has been in practice for quite a long time.

Many have raised questions as to why there will be no minimum qualifying marks for those candidates who are interested to go to other countries to obtain a medical degree while students studying in India have to secure a minimum 50 and 40 percentile marks in case of general and SC/ST/OBC candidates respectively. The question here rises on how the MCI, the highest regulating body, is providing these students with No Objection Certificates (NOCs) which is needed to go abroad.

According to sources, many of these students who have fetched a degree from foreign countries without appearing for an entrance examination, have been allegedly practicing in some of the top private hospitals in the city and also in other states as well. Many have raised questions on the standard of these doctors. It may be mentioned that the MCI conducts a test for these candidates obtaining foreign degrees but there is a question mark on the standard of the examination.

MCI has not set any minimum qualifying marks in the NEET as a result of which, a general category student can opt for a foreign university. According Indian Medical Council Amendment Act 2016, those who are willing to study MBBS in any of the state-run or private medical colleges in the country will have to secure a minimum of 50 and 40 percentile marks in the national level medical entrance examination.

Raising questions on the 'faulty system' as to why there will be different rules in the country, a Kolkata-based doctor, Dr A K Maity has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention so that Centre formulates a policy in this regard.