HC allows doctor with foreign degree to join PG course

A division bench of justices Akil Kureshi and SJ Kathawalla was hearing a petition filed by Dr Shantanu Chandrasekhar, who had got an MD degree, equivalent to MBBS, from a Russian university in 2015.

The Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday made its interim decision to allow a doctor, who had an MBBS degree from a foreign university, to pursue postgraduate (PG) studies in Indian deemed universities absolute, after the state said it has no objections to it. The bench, however, refused to go into deciding the policy.

In an earlier hearing, the HC had given the petitioner interim relief, allowing him to take admission in a deemed university offering PG courses. (HT file photo)

A division bench of justices Akil Kureshi and SJ Kathawalla was hearing a petition filed by Dr Shantanu Chandrasekhar, who had got an MD degree, equivalent to MBBS, from a Russian university in 2015.

Chandrasekhar had challenged rule 82 of the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) 2017 NEET-PG policy, which bars students with MBBS degrees from foreign universities from pursuing PG courses in medicine in Indian universities.

Senior advocate Milind Sathe, representing the petitioner, told the court that he had passed the eligibility test and completed internship at a Delhi hospital in 2017. However, when he wanted to appear for the NEET-PG 2017 exam, he was barred based on rule 82.

He had then challenged the policy in the HC, on the grounds that while a doctor with a foreign degree was allowed to practice in Indian hospitals, he or she is restricted from pursuing PG studies in government or any deemed university.

Such a policy was arbitrary and should be set aside, Sathe told the court.

In an earlier hearing, the HC had given the petitioner interim relief, allowing him to take admission in a deemed university offering PG courses.

On Wednesday, after counsel for the state, advocate Hiten Venegaonkar, said the government has no problem in Chandrashekhar pursuing the PG course in a deemed university, the HC said that it was making the “interim relief absolute”.

However, counsel for the MCI, advocate Ritesh Ratnam, said that according to the rules, any candidate who holds a foreign medical degree and has cleared the eligibility test and completed internship in India is eligible to take admission for PG courses in deemed universities.