Lok Sabha Question No. 1599 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-10
Subject: Students pursuing Medical Education Abroad
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Anto  Antony, Krupal Balaji Tumane, Bhavana Gawali (Patil)

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1599 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  FEBRUARY, 2023

## STUDENTS PURSUING MEDICAL EDUCATION ABROAD

## 1599.  SHRI ANTO ANTONY: SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE: SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAOGAWALI:

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

- (a)  the  number  of  students  pursuing  undergraduate  and  postgraduate  medical  courses  abroad during the last ten years, country-wise, yearwise and State/UT to which they belong to;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the safety of such students studying abroad;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to transfer or provide lateral entry to the students studying in war torn countries in the Indian medical institutions and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  any  data  regarding  number  of  Ukraine-returnee  students  got admissions under the 'Academic-Mobility-Programme'and 'Academic-Transfer-Programme' in different Universities in Europe and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)  the  details  of  difference  between  Academic  Mobility-Programme  and  Academic-Transfer Programme;
- (f)  whether the  Government is aware that the banks are declining the requests for educational loan under Academic-Transfer-Programme; and
- (g) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (DR BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  to  (g):  As  informed  by  Ministry  of  External  Affairs  (MEA),  there  are  approximately  1.2 million  Indian  students  studying  abroad  including  all  streams  of  education.  However,  specific data of Indian students pursuing medical courses abroad is not available. Further, as informed by Bureau of Immigration, the number of Indian students who went abroad for study/ education in various streams from 2017 to 2022 is as under:-

| Year   | 2017     | 2018     | 2019     | 2020     | 2021     | 2022     |
|--------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|----------|
| Number | 4,54,010 | 5,18,015 | 5,86,337 | 2,59,655 | 4,44,553 | 7,50,365 |

The Indian Mission in various countries are in regular contact with relevant authorities including various ministries, local administration, universities/ institutes for ensuring the safety of the students.

Foreign Medical Students/Graduates are either covered under 'Screening Test Regulations, 2002' or 'Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021'. There are no such provisions in the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 & the National  Medical Commission Act,  2019  as  well  as  the  Regulations  to  accommodate  or  transfer  medical  students  from  any foreign medical institutes to Indian medical colleges. No permission has been given by the NMC to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute/university.

The  National  Medical  Commission  (NMC)  has  devised  a  scheme  under  which  Indian students who were in the last year of their undergraduate medicine course (due to COVID-19, Russia-Ukraine conflict etc had to leave their foreign medical institute) and have subsequently completed their studies as also have been granted certificate of completion of course/degree by the respective institute, on or before 30th June, 2022, are permitted to appear in Foreign Medical Graduate Examination. Thereafter, upon qualifying the FMG examination, such foreign medical graduates are required to undergo Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for a period of two years to make up for the clinical training which could not be physically attended by them during the undergraduate medicine course in the foreign institute as also to familiarize them with practice  of  medicine  under  Indian  conditions.  Foreign  medical  graduates  get  registration  only after completing the CRMI of two years.

As per information received from MEA, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv has communicated with all the concerned Universities in Ukraine for providing transcript and other documents in a smooth manner to the students.  The details  are  available  on  the  website  of  Embassy  to  assist students to address any related issues.

The  NMC  has  issued  Public  Notices  conveying  its  No-objection  to  the  Academic Mobility  Program  offered  by  Ukraine  i.e.  temporary  relocation  (for  the  period  of  conflict)  to other  universities  applicable  in  either  of  29  countries  as  mentioned  in  the  Public  Notice.  As informed by MEA, a total of 3,964 Indian medical students have got admissions under Academic Transfer  Programme.  Further,  around  170  students  have  enrolled  themselves  under  Academic Mobility Program. Academic Mobility Programme is a temporary relocation to other universities in different countries whereas Academic Transfer Programme is a permanent shifting to a new medical college in the same country or a different country altogether.

As informed by Department of Financial Services (DFS), there is no case of denial of request  for  educational  loan  under  Academic  Transfer  Programme  or  Academic  Mobility Program.

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