HYDERABAD: Students aspiring to join Chinese medical universities are facing a stumbling block in the form of a guideline of the Medical Council of India (MCI), which students say is twisted to suit its convenience and against its own amended Act of 2001.

As per MCI guidelines, every student seeking admission in a foreign medical college has to file a declaration form and its clearance from the MCI is must for students to come back and practise in India after clearing the mandatory screening test.

In the new declaration form, the MCI included a note that states: "I understand and declare that I intend to take admission in a foreign medical institution which has been duly mentioned and recognised and included in the schedules to the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956."

Students' contention

Students object to the inclusion of `Indian Medical Council Act, 1956' in the paragraph that was originally not there in a judgment of the High Court based on which the statement has been added to the declaration form.

Their argument is simple. The MCI Act was last amended in September 2001 and also notified in the Gazette of India. But instead of following the 2001 Act, the MCI has included the guidelines of 1956.

Earlier to 2001, Part II of Schedule III of the IMC Act, 1956 consisted of medical institutions of the erstwhile USSR and other Commonwealth countries whose degrees were recognised by the MCI.

Recognition

But now students argue that with the amendment to the MCI Act in Parliament, a provision was made to recognise the medical degrees obtained from the universities world over.

World directory

They say the MCI decided to award recognition to the primary medical qualification obtained abroad if the name of the degree and the institution awarding the same are listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools published by the World Health Organisation as per the changes brought in 2001.

However, the inclusion of `Act 1956' in the declaration form now is proving to be a stumbling block to take admission in Chinese universities.

"The guidelines of 1956 cease to exist as soon as Parliament passed the amendments brought in 2001," they argue.

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