This is a Gazette of India notification (Extraordinary, Part III, Section 4, No. 254) dated 20-12-2011 and published on 23-12-2011. Its official name is the “Screening Test (Amendment) Regulations, 2011”. It amended the Screening Test Regulations, 2002 to create an exemption from the screening test for some doctors with medical degrees from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
It was issued by the medical regulator of that time under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, with the prior approval of the Central Government. That regulator has since been replaced by the National Medical Commission (NMC). We have added this notification because families still ask about it, and it helps to read the original. Below we explain what it says and how it fits with today’s rules.
Background: the Screening Test Regulations, 2002
The Screening Test Regulations, 2002 set the screening test that a person with a foreign medical degree had to pass before getting provisional or permanent registration to practise medicine in India. This screening test is commonly known as the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
According to the footnote in this Gazette, the principal regulations were published on 18-02-2002 in Part III, Section 4 of the Gazette of India. They were then amended by notifications dated 28-06-2003, 25-09-2009 and 16-04-2010. The 16-04-2010 amendment added sub-clause (3) to Regulation 4, under the heading “Eligibility Criteria”. This 2011 notification adds a further proviso after that sub-clause.
What the 2011 amendment says
The amendment adds a new proviso, numbered (4), to Regulation 4. It says that a person seeking provisional or permanent registration does not have to pass the screening test if all three of these conditions are met:
- Undergraduate degree: the person holds an undergraduate medical qualification from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America;
- Postgraduate qualification: the person has also been awarded a postgraduate medical qualification in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America; and
- Recognition to practise: the person has been recognised for enrolment as a medical practitioner in that country.
The amendment came into force on the date it was published in the Official Gazette.
Reading the conditions carefully
The exemption in this notification is narrow. It is not a general exemption for everyone who studied medicine in these five countries. Based on the text:
- An undergraduate medical degree from one of these countries on its own is not enough. The person must also hold a postgraduate medical qualification from one of these countries.
- The person must also be recognised to practise there, that is, recognised for enrolment as a medical practitioner in that country.
- The notification covers only these five countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It does not mention any other country.
How this fits with the FMGL Regulations, 2021
On 18-11-2021, NMC notified the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021. These set new rules for anyone who wants to practise in India with a foreign medical degree, including a course of at least 54 months, a 12-month internship in the same foreign institution, teaching in English, a licence to practise in that country, a 12-month supervised internship in India and the exam set by NMC.
The FMGL Regulations state that they do not apply to foreign medical graduates who already had their degree before the regulations came into force, or to students who were already studying abroad before then. Those people are governed by the earlier regulations. For students who joined a foreign medical course after 18-11-2021, the FMGL Regulations, 2021 apply.
This 2011 notification does not say how it applies to students under the FMGL Regulations. Because of that, please do not assume this exemption applies to a course started today. Check with NMC how the rules apply to your own case before making any decision.
Key dates
- 18-02-2002: Screening Test Regulations, 2002 published.
- 28-06-2003, 25-09-2009 and 16-04-2010: amendments to those regulations.
- 20-12-2011: date of this amendment notification.
- 23-12-2011: published in the Gazette of India.
- 18-11-2021: NMC notifies the FMGL Regulations, 2021.
If you are considering medicine in these countries
Studying medicine in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK or the USA follows a very different path from MBBS in many other countries, in cost, entry route and length of training. If this route interests you, keep these questions in mind:
- When will the course start, and therefore which rules will apply to the student, the earlier regulations or the FMGL Regulations, 2021?
- Does the course meet each FMGL 2021 point, including duration, internship, language and licence to practise in that country?
- Has the latest NMC position been checked on nmc.org.in?
Common questions
Does a UK or USA MBBS mean no exam in India? Not on its own. This 2011 notification required an undergraduate degree, a postgraduate qualification and recognition to practise, all from these countries. For students who joined after 18-11-2021, the FMGL Regulations, 2021 apply.
Is this notification still in force today? This document does not answer that. It is a 2011 amendment, and medical regulation in India has changed since, including the FMGL Regulations, 2021. Please confirm with NMC.
Which countries does this notification cover? Only five: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Both the undergraduate degree and the postgraduate qualification had to be from these countries, and the person had to be recognised to practise there.
Why does the PDF show a different regulator’s name? Because it was issued in 2011, before the National Medical Commission replaced the earlier medical regulator. The PDF is the original document.
How we use this at National Vidya Foundation
We share original documents like this so families can read the rules themselves instead of relying on someone’s summary. If you have a question about how a rule applies to your child, book a free Clarity Call and we will go through the official documents with you.
The full Gazette notification is in the PDF below.