Lok Sabha Question No. 1992 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: Enhancing Seats in Medical Colleges
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Gangasandra Siddappa Basavaraj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1992 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH NOVEMBER, 2019

## ENHANCING SEATS IN M EDICAL COLLEGES

## 1992. SHRI G.S. BASAVARAJ:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has initiated steps towards enhancing seat in medical colleges from  the  current  77,000  to 1,00,000  to  cope  with  the  increasing dema d  for  healthcare professiona ls, if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware of  the  abysmal  level  of  competence  of medical graduates passing out from medical colleges in Russia, China and East Bloc Nations, who fail to qualify the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) conducted by the National Board of Examinations, even after repeated attempts, if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  whether  during  the  last  four  years only  14.2  per  cent  of  the  61,708  overseas medical graduates, cleared the FMGE, if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) : At present, there are 539 medical colleges in the country with an intake capac 80,312 MBBS seats annually. During the last six years the intake capacity has been inc by 29185 MBBS seats. The Government is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Sche me to established  new  medical  colleges  attached  with  District/Referral  hospitals  in  under areas of the Country. Of the 157 medical colleges to be established in different pha have already become functional. The remaining 115 medical colleges a re likely to become functional by 2022 - 23. The Ministry is also implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to increase 10000 MBBS seats in the existing Government medical colleges. The Ministry h also under taken regulatory reforms in the field of medical education to increase the supply of medical professionals.

(b) & (c): Section 13(4A) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 prescribes that a Indian student who obtains medical qualification from a country outside India shall h qualify a Screen ing Test i.e. Foreign Medical Graduate Exam (FMGE) to be enrolled with the State  Medical  Council  or  the  Medical  Council  of  India  (MCI). National  Board  of Examinations (NBE) which conducts FMGE informed that in the last four years (2015 - 2018), around 61,708 candidates have appeared in FMGE out of which 8764 qualified the exam Further, the details of performance of students graduating from Russia, China and East Bloc Nations as provided by NBE are at Annexure.

The medical  institutions  /  Universities  of  foreign  countries  admit  Indian  stu without  proper  assessment  or  screening  of  the  students'  academic  ability  to  c ope  up  with medical education with the result that m any students fail to qualify the FMGE. Keeping in view of the same, MCI regulations have been amended to mak e it mandatory for the Indian students to qualify NEET to pursue foreign medical course.

## Annexure

| Performance in FMGE from 2015 -2018   | Performance in FMGE from 2015 -2018   | Performance in FMGE from 2015 -2018   | Performance in FMGE from 2015 -2018   |
|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Russia,China and East Bloc Nations    | 2015-2018                             | 2015-2018                             | 2015-2018                             |
|                                       | App eared                             | Passed                                | Pass (%)                              |
| ARMENIA                               | 1096                                  | 237                                   | 21.62%                                |
| AZERBAIJAN                            | 123                                   | 5                                     | 4.07%                                 |
| BELARUS                               | 395                                   | 35                                    | 8.86%                                 |
| GEORGIA                               | 1682                                  | 348                                   | 20.69%                                |
| KAZAKHSTAN                            | 1393                                  | 143                                   | 10.27%                                |
| KYRGYZSTAN                            | 5335                                  | 589                                   | 11.04%                                |
| LATVIA                                | 13                                    | 1                                     | 7.69%                                 |
| LITHUANIA                             | 3                                     | 0                                     | 0.00%                                 |
| MOLDOVA                               | 15                                    | 1                                     | 6.67%                                 |
| RUSSIA FEDERATION                     | 11697                                 | 1510                                  | 12.91%                                |
| TAJAKISTAN                            | 901                                   | 80                                    | 8.88%                                 |
| UKRAINE                               | 8021                                  | 1193                                  | 14.87%                                |
| UZBEKISTAN                            | 1                                     | 0                                     | 0.00%                                 |
| POLAND                                | 5                                     | 1                                     | 20.00%                                |
| BULGARIA                              | 114                                   | 9                                     | 7.89%                                 |
| ROMANIA                               | 211                                   | 19                                    | 9.00%                                 |
| HUNGARY                               | 5                                     | 0                                     | 0.00%                                 |
| GERMANY                               | 5                                     | 0                                     | 0.00%                                 |
| CZECH REPUBLIC                        | 1                                     | 1                                     | 100.00%                               |
| CHINA                                 | 20314                                 | 2370                                  | 11.67%                                |