NEET made mandatory for pursuing medical courses abroad

Kolkata: The Union Health Ministry has made the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), a common national-level medical entrance examination in the country, mandatory for the candidates willing to pursue medical courses at foreign universities.

The Union Health ministry has approved the proposal of the Medical Council of India (MCI) and instructed the highest regulating body that medical aspirants going abroad must get an eligibility certificate from MCI after they clear NEET.

It may be mentioned that a sizeable number of candidates from Kolkata used to go abroad to study MBBS in the foreign universities without clearing any entrance test in the country. These candidates preferred to go to countries like China, Russia, Nepal and others to get their MBBS degree without appearing for any medical entrance test in the country.

They, however, had to sit for an examination conducted by MCI, after returning home after obtaining MBBS degree from outside the country. MCI has also given a list of medical colleges outside the country, where these students can pursue their course after clearing NEET.

It had been often alleged that most of these candidates used to secure a seat in the universities abroad against a huge amount of money and hence, their merit could not be judged, because they did not have to appear for any entrance examination in the country.

An order issued by the Union Health Ministry on February 13 said that Indian citizens or overseas citizens of India intending to obtain primary medical qualification from any medical institution outside India on or after May 2018, shall have to qualify NEET for admission to MBBS courses abroad.

The result of NEET shall be deemed as the eligibility certificate for such persons, provided that they fulfill the eligibility criteria for the admission.

Imtiaz Ali, who obtained his MBBS degree from a university in China, said: "MCI must check the standard and infrastructure of the outside medical colleges, where the students will pursue their courses."

Dr A K Maity, an expert in the field of medical education in the state, said: "After the Centre makes NEET mandatory for the students willing to go abroad, the mad craze among the medical aspirants from the city about going abroad, will die down. They would try to secure a place in the country's medical colleges after clearing NEET."