Supreme Court Upholds Validity of NEET UG Qualification for Pursuing MBBS Abroad

NEET UG Qualification for Pursuing MBBS Abroad: The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the Medical Council of India’s rule making it mandatory for students to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) to pursue undergraduate medical courses in foreign institutions. The rule, introduced in 2018, ensures that Indian students studying medicine abroad meet the standards required (NEET UG Qualification) to practice medicine in India.

The court’s ruling said the rule is fair, transparent and does not conflict with any statutory provision. The requirement to clear NEET UG is in addition to meeting the eligibility criteria laid down in the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997.

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A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K Vinod Chandran heared the petition in the Supreme Court. The petitioners challenged the regulation, asserting that it was implemented without the necessary amendments to the Indian Medical Council Act of 1956. However, the court held that the Medical Council has the power to introduce regulations under Section 33 of the Act.

“We do not see any reason to interfere with the rules,” the bench said. The Supreme Court also refused to grant exemption as a one-time measure. “Obviously, with open eyes, after the amended rules come into force if a candidate wishes to take admission in a foreign institution for obtaining primary medical qualification, they cannot seek exemption from the rules; which prescribe the eligibility criteria required to practice medicine within the country. It does not restrict their right to practice anywhere outside India,” the bench said.

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