Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021

New Delhi, the 18th November, 2021

No. UGMEB/NMC/Rules & Regulations /2021/. - In exercise of the powers conferred by section 57 read with sub-section (4) of section 15 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (30 of 2019), the National Medical Commission hereby makes the following regulations namely:-

(1) These Regulations may be called the National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their final publication in the Official Gazette of India.

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) "Act" means the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 (30 of 2019);

(b) "Commission" means the National Medical Commission constituted under section 3 of the Act;

(c) "Foreign Medical Graduate" means a person who does not have basic graduation or primary qualification (undergraduate medical degree) from any University or medical college or institution in India, to seek license for medical practice in India;

(d) "Medicine" means modern scientific medicine in all its branches and includes surgery and obstetrics, but does not include veterinary medicine and surgery;

(e) "Permanent Registration" is the registration of eligible persons with a duly recognised primary medical qualification as regulated under the provisions of Chapter VI of the Act, which permits or provides license to an individual to independently practice modern scientific system of medicine or allopathy in India, as regulated under the Permanent Medical Regulations, 2021;

(f) "Schedule" means the Schedule annexed to these regulations;

(g) "Supervised Internship" means training of an intern by mentors so that he becomes a clinician with reliable competencies in diagnostic and therapeutic skills in different disciplines of medicine, appropriate for a primary care physician, to independently provide safe preventive, promotive, curative, palliative and holistic care with compassion and is confident of handling common acute emergencies.

(2) Words and expressions used in these regulations and not defined herein but defined in the Act, shall have the respective meanings assigned to them in the Act.

No foreign medical graduate shall practice medicine in India, unless he is granted permanent registration in accordance with the provisions of these regulations.

No foreign medical graduate shall be granted permanent registration, unless he has-

(a) (i) undergone a course leading to foreign medical degree with minimum duration of fifty-four months;

(ii) Undergone an internship for a minimum duration of twelve months in the same foreign medical institution;

(iii) Received a foreign medical degree with medium of instructions in English; and

(iv) studied the mandatory subjects specified in the Schedule-I;

(b) registered with the respective professional regulatory body or otherwise, competent to grant license to practice medicine in their respective jurisdiction of the country in which the medical degree is awarded and at par with the license to practice medicine given to citizen of that country;

(c) undergone supervised internship in India for a minimum term of twelve months, after applying for the same to the Commission; and

(d) has cleared the National Exit Test or such other mandated test or tests conducted by the Commission.

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in regulation 4, these regulations shall not be applicable-

(a) To foreign medical graduates who have acquired a foreign medical degree or primary qualification, as the case may be, prior to the coming into force of these regulations;

(b) to candidates who are pursuing their education in foreign institutions prior to the coming into force of these regulations; and

(c) to such foreign medical graduates who are specifically exempted by the Commission or the Central Government, as the case may be, by notification.

(2) The foreign medical graduates who have acquired a foreign medical degree or primary qualification, as the case may be, and the candidates who are pursuing their education in foreign institutions, prior to the coming into force of these regulations, shall be governed by the erstwhile applicable regulations.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in these regulations, no grant of permanent registration to practice medicine shall be issued if the same infringes upon public policy or national security.