Government okays MD degrees from 5 nations like USA, Canada, UK

Government okays MD degrees from 5 nations like USA, Canada, UK

The government has recognised MD degrees granted by five English-speaking countries, like the US, Canada and the UK, to doctors of Indian origin, Health and family welfare minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Tuesday.

“No foreign MBBS degree is recognised in India,” he said during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha. Indian students getting medical degrees from countries like Russia, China and Bangladesh cannot automatically practice, he said adding foreign-degree holders have to clear a screening test held by National Board of Examination.

However, MD degrees granted by five English-speaking countries of the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand to doctors of Indian origin have been recognised, he said.

Azad said 4,211 foreign degree holders appeared in the screening test in 2008, out of which only 1,326 passed.

From http://www.deccanherald.com/content/237658/govt-recognises-md-degrees-5.html

But degree holders have to clear a test for acceptance

Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the government has recognised MD degrees granted by five English-speaking countries like the US, Canada and the UK to doctors of Indian-origin but no foreign MBBS degrees are recognised in India.

The minister during the Question Hour said MD degrees granted by five English-speaking countries — US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand — to doctors of Indian-origin have been recognised.

However, Indian students getting medical degrees from countries like Russia, China and Bangladesh cannot automatically practice, he said adding foreign degree holders have to clear a screening test conducted by the National Board of Examination.

Of the 10,155 foreign degree holders who appeared for the 2010 screening test, 2,680 passed, while in the next year, 3,576 students out of 13,270 who took the test passed.

The minister said to encourage setting up more medical colleges, the government has brought down the land requirement to 10 acre in metros from 25 acre. After the relaxation, 46 new medical colleges have come up in the country in the last three years.

The cap on students’ intake has been raised to 250 per session from the previous 150 students. Also, teacher-student ratio in certain post graduate courses has been relaxed to 1:2 and in some cases to 1:3.

The minister said proposed four AIIMS-like institutions in different parts of the country will operationalise from the next year. He said to encourage doctors of Indian-origin practising abroad to work with government institutes, the Medical Council of India has been told that if they opt to work with such institutes, they should be allowed to practise privately.