Delhi HC refuses to postpone FMGE June 2021 exam
New Delhi: In the latest development, the Delhi High Court has dismissed the plea by foreign medicos seeking postponement of the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) by one month. The screening test is scheduled to take place on June 18, 2021.
After listening to the submissions made by both the petitioner doctors and the Centre, the High Court bench of Justice Amit Bansal observed on Friday, "I am not inclined. Dismissed."
This comes after seeking direction on the National Board of Examinations (NBE) to postpone the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, a bunch of medicos had approached the Delhi High Court citing the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic as the reason.
The FMGE-Screening Test has been introduced through Screening Test Regulations 2002. As per the regulations, "An Indian citizen/Overseas citizen of India possessing a primary medical qualification awarded by any medical institution outside India who is desirous of getting provisional or permanent registration with apex medical regulator or any State Medical Council on or after 15.03.2002 shall have to qualify a screening test conducted by the prescribed authority for that purpose as per the provisions of section 13 of the Act."
As per the latest media report by Live Law, during the hearing of the case on Friday, the counsel for the petitioner argued that the exam was earlier postponed by a month when there was no pandemic. However, he further pointed out that considering the current situation, when the threat of Covid-19 is higher than ever, the repeated pleas of the doctors were not being taken into account.
He further argued that conducting the examination on June 18 would be in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India, adding that even if a doctor didn't wish to appear for the examination in June there was no provision made to carry forward the fees for the test to the next year or any process to refund it, reports Bar and Bench.
The counsel for the Centre argued that the screening test would ensure an increase in the number of practising doctors during the pandemic, adding that all the necessary safety protocols were being followed on the basis of the suggestions made by the examination committee.
The Centre, National Medical Commission and National Board of Examination all opposed the petition and submitted before the Court that ever since the emergence of the pandemic, the test had already been conducted twice. 17,198 and 18,576 aspirants appeared in the test held in August 2020 and December 2020, respectively, they submitted.
After listening to all the contentions, the Delhi HC vacation bench on Friday dismissed the plea saying, "I am not inclined. Dismissed."
With the HC orders, the NBE has now released the conduct of FMGE June 2021 in view of the COVID appropriate behaviour.
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