The National Medical Commission (NMC) has cautioned medical aspirants in India against travelling to Pakistan for getting an MBBS degree, BDS as well as any other equivalent medical degree, making it clear that such degrees will not be valid.
The NMC, top medical education regulator body said that such students shall not be eligible to appear for FMGE or seek employment in India on the basis of the educational qualifications gained from universities in the neighboring country.
“Any Indian national or overseas citizen of India who intends to take admission in Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) or Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) or equivalent medical course in any medical college of Pakistan shall not be eligible for appearing in Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) or seeking employment in India on the basis of educational qualifications (in any subject) acquired in Pakistan except those who had joined Pakistan degree colleges before December 2018 or later after obtaining security clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs till date,” stated Dr Sandhya Bhullar, secretary, NMC in a circular on April 28, 2022.
However, the Commission has also clarified that migrants and their children who acquired higher education or medical degree in Pakistan but have been awarded Indian citizenship will still be eligible to appear for FMGE/NEXT and seek employment in India, after obtaining Security Clearance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
This notice from the NMC comes a days after a similar notice was issued by UGC and AICTE. In the notice, which was issued on April 22, the UGC and the AICTE said that any Indian national or overseas citizen of the country who intends to take admission in any degree college or educational institution of Pakistan “shall not be eligible for seeking employment or higher studies in India”.
Sources said that higher education regulatory bodies have taken the step following consultations among the Union Home Affairs Ministry, Union Ministry of External Affairs and NMC officials in view of continuation of terrorist funding activities from the neighbouring country.
The NMC had earlier issued a warning against the online medical courses being offered by several Chinese universities. Students aiming to pursue medical or any other courses from foreign universities have been advised to “exercise due diligence, said the Apex medical regulator.
The commission has also already clarified that it does not approve any medical course which is conducted only in online mode.
