India to screen doctors with foreign degrees

New Delhi: In a ruling that would affect Indian students pursuing medical courses abroad, the Supreme Court has ruled such students have to compulsorily undergo a "screening test" before taking up their medical practice in India.

"The scope of Section 13(4A) is quite clear and covers all foreign medical institutions falling within the ambit of Sections 12 and 13 of the Act," said the apex court.

"On a close and careful reading, provisions of the Amending Act of 2001 with the Eligibility Requirement Regulations and Screening Test Regulation, both of 2002, it becomes at once clear that the MCI is obliged to stipulate the screening test in the case of all those candidates who obtained medical qualification from medical institutions outside India," a three-judge bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, P Sathasivam and J M Panchal said.

The apex court made the remarks in a judgement interpreting Sections 12 and 13 of the Medical Council of India (MCI) Act stipulating students pursuing medical courses under "reciprocal" programme with foreign medical college/universities to mandatorily undergo "screening test" in India before commencing their practice.