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NEW DELHI, MARCH 29: In a major relief to Indian medical students who were forced to return from Ukraine, China and the Philippines due to war and Covid-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed them to clear their final examination in two attempts, without enrolling in any medical college in India.

This is applicable to MBBS students who returned to India in their penultimate year of studies and completed the course through online mode. The exams will be in line with the existing National Medical Council (NMC) syllabus, a bench of judges B R Gavai and Vikram Nath said. The bench was hearing a batch of pleas by students who had to leave their studies mid-way and return to India.

Earlier, the Centre had told the SC it was ready to offer penultimate year students one chance to clear the final exams (both theory and practical) but the court modified it to two, considering the ‘special circumstances’.

The Centre said the theory exam would be held centrally on the pattern of Indian MBBS exam, while the practical exam would be conducted by designated government medical colleges. The students will also have to complete two years of compulsory rotatory internship.

The SC had in December 2022 asked the Centre to find a solution to the ‘humane problem’ faced by the medical students. “Find out a solution for these students, who are undisputedly an asset to the nation and, particularly, when there is a dearth of doctors in the country,” it had said.

Following this, the government formed a panel of experts, whose recommendation was sumbitted to the SC via an affidavit. The court accepted it on Tuesday with one modification in favour of the students.

The affidavit said the relaxation is only for the present matter and will not be treated as a precedent for issues that may arise in future.

-TNIE