MEA scraps medical test exemption for refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh

The exemption given to persecuted religious minority migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh, mostly Hindus, from appearing for entrance test to pursue medical courses on self-financing basis in the country has been scrapped.

The exemption given to persecuted religious minority migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh, mostly Hindus, from appearing for entrance test to pursue medical courses on self-financing basis in the country has been scrapped.

The exemption was seen as a measure to be more considerate to religious minorities from Pakistan and Bangladesh. (Sushil Kumar/HT Photo)

The move comes after the government changed admission rules for foreign nationals to pursue medical courses to comply with a Supreme Court order on the issue last year.

The NDA government last year had started allowing persecuted religious migrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh to pursue medical courses through self-financing schemes based on their Class 12 marks. They were required to score 60% in science subjects and 50% in English and were exempted from appearing in any entrance examination.

This was seen as another measure taken by the government to be more considerate to the religious minorities from Pakistan and Bangladesh, who are mostly Hindus. However, the exemption has been reversed and notified by the external affairs ministry.

“The CBSE has issued a notification that from academic year 2017-18 onwards, admissions in all medical/dental colleges in India will be based on the NEET, including for foreign nationals,” sources said.

There is a list of 26 colleges from where MEA facilitates the admission of such students on self-financing basis. They include premier institutes such as AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital. The change in the norm is based on last year’s Supreme Court’s ruling that made a common entrance test mandatory for medical, dental courses.