Data of students going abroad to pursue MBBS not maintained centrally: MoS Health

New Delhi: Central Government does not centrally maintain the data of students who go to abroad for pursuing MBBS, the Minister of State in the Union Health Ministry, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Parliament recently.

The Minister also clarified that the Foreign medical graduates must clear Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), before applying for registration to practice in India.

In fact, the Minister also provided the details of the students who have successfully cleared the FMGE test in the last 10 years.

As per the data provided by the Minister, the number of successful candidates In June 2022 was 2348, while in the year 2021 around 5683 students cleared the test in December and 4324 candidates passed it in June. 

Back in 2020, 3928 candidates passed in December, 1999 in June. Around 4444 students passed FMGE in December 2019, 2992 in June 2019, 1969 in December 2018, 2480 in June 2018, 1284 in December 2017, 497 in June 2017, 560 in December 2016, 600 in June 2016, 764 in December 2015, 610 in June 2015, 1354 in December 2014, 282 in June 2014, 1065 in September 2013, 1803 in March 2013, 2146 in September 2012, and 1411 in March 2012.

The Minister revealed the data while responding to a number of questions regarding the students who are pursuing medical studies abroad. Such questions included if the Government has any data on the total number of medical students abroad, number of medical students who went to abroad in the last ten years, major reasons for which the students choose abroad for medical studies, the details regarding the eligibility test for FMGs to practice in India, and the details of the successful candidates in FMGE.

Responding to these queries, the MoS Health stated, "Clause 8 (iv) of Eligibility Requirement for Taking Admission in an Undergraduate Medical Course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulation, 2002 provides for that any Indian citizens/Overseas citizen of India intending to obtain primary medical qualification from any medical institution outside India, on or after May 2018, shall have to mandatorily qualify the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS course. The result of the NEET shall deem to be treated as the Eligibility Certificate for such persons and no separate permission required from NMC."

Clarifying that the Ministry does not maintain any data of students going abroad for MBBS, Dr. Pawar stated, "Therefore, data of students going abroad to pursue MBBS is not maintained centrally."

Referring to the qualifying exam that the FMGs need to pass for practicing in India, she added "A student who has acquired foreign medical qualification from a medical institute abroad, is required to qualify Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), before applying for registration to practice medicine in India."

The details of number of students declared successful in FMGE test during the last 10 years (March 2012 to June 2022) is as follows:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/lok-sabha-181634.pdf

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