MCI exemption raises hopes of those wanting to study abroad

BENGALURU: The Medical Council of India’s (MCI) decision to allow onetime exemption to aspirants who want to study outside India but have not written the mandatory NEET, has fuelled hopes of many.


Students are lining up in front of

counselling centres

of foreign universities looking for the best options. Indian students are free to go abroad to study medicine if they have not applied for NEET this year, but if they have written the test and failed to qualify, they cannot apply.

“We have over 50 pending applications of students who have excellent academic backgrounds, but did not appear for NEET this year. This notification has opened the doors for these students,” said Sivakumar, admission officer at Texila American University (TAU), a university based in the Caribbean that prepares students to practise in the US.

TAU, which admits students in March and September for its 4.5-year MCI-recognized medicine programme in Guyana, has seen a rise in the number of applications post MCI’s September 14 notification granting one-time exemption to aspirants who have not written the mandated NEET this year.

The MCI said candidates should obtain an eligibility certificate from the council prior to admission or joining foreign institutes.

However, the notification has left experts concerned about the quality of students who would be studying abroad. Lakshmi Murthy, from the medical excel programme, BASE Educational Services, said, “The key question is are we assuming students who are allowed to apply abroad would have qualified for NEET too? Authorities should make sure deserving students get an opportunity.”

VTU students allege discrepancies in exam system
Alleging discrepancies in the examination and evaluation system of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), students admitted under 2015 Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) scheme staged a protest at Town Hall, Bengaluru, on Monday.

They demanded supplementary exam instead of the year-back system or continuation of “one-time exit scheme” for students of all schemes.

“Following protests by non-CBCS students last year, VTU came up with a ‘one-time exit scheme’ to address problems arising due to the year-back system. After this, students with a backlog of certain number of papers don’t have to repeat a year now.

Why is it that we are facing discrimination,” asked Deepak B, a third-year engineering student.

Prashant K, a fourth-year student, said, “We have been submitting memoranda to VTU officials as well as higher education minister GT Devegowda to change the scheme for students under 2015 CBCS, but there has been no action from their side.”

Students claim about 70,000 students admitted under the 2015 scheme have been deliberately deprived of this benefit.

After students held a protest at the VTU regional office in Belagavi, an urgent meeting was called on September 7, and the critical year-back system was removed. “But the students are demanding supplementary examination and ‘one-time exit scheme’,” said Lokesh S, a third-year engineering student.

Protesting students showed marksheets to prove that getting 10 more marks through revaluation had become the norm. “On an average, there is an increase of 7-15 marks for students who have failed. VTU seems to be failing students only to make money from revaluation fee (Rs 400 for each answerscript),” said Rajiv NP, a third-year student.