MCI warns against MBBS at medical colleges at PoK, says degrees not recognised in India

According to a recent report by IANS, the signalling on medical degrees emanating from PoK are akin to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) giving weather bulletins for areas in POJKL.

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In a notice issued on Monday, Dr R.K. Vats, Secretary-General of the apex medical regulator, was seen releasing an advisory against MBBS admissions in medical colleges in POJKL:

This is to inform all concerned that entire territories of UT of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India. Pakistan is in the illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the territory. Accordingly, any medical institution in Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) requires permission/recognition under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. Such permission has not been granted to any medical college in PoJKL. Therefore, any qualification obtained from medical colleges located within these illegally occupied areas of India shall not entitle a person for grant of registration under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 to practice Modern Medicine in India.

It is not clear as to what triggered this notice and if any applications were received but it is amply clear that India's top medical regulator is laying down jurisdiction claims on medical colleges in POJKL, reports IANS.

The IMD has already started giving weather bulletins for areas in POJKL including Gilgit Baltistan, Mirpur and Muzaffarabad. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had announced that DD News and All India Radio will broadcast temperatures and weather reports of Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Gilgit in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in their prime-time news bulletins. The IMD had said that these cities are part of India and that it would give out their weather updates in its daily bulletin.