Persecuted minorities from Pak get chance to practise medicine in India

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has opened the doors for persecuted minorities from Pakistan, who fled the country and entered India on or before December 31, 2014, to practise medicine here.

It has invited applications from such people who have obtained Indian citizenship for the grant of permanent registration to practise modern medicine or allopathy.

According to a public notice issued by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UMEB) of the NMC on Friday, the shortlisted applicants will be allowed to appear in an examination to be conducted by the commission or an agency authorised by it.

The NMC had formed a group of experts in June to frame guidelines for a proposed test to enable the medical graduates among the persecuted minorities from Pakistan, who migrated and took Indian citizenship, to acquire permanent registration for practising medicine here.

According to the UMEB, the applicant must possess a valid medical qualification and must have practised medicine in Pakistan prior to his migration to India.

The last date for the submission of the applications is September 5. The applicants have been advised to strictly follow the instructions given for filling up the online application through a link provided on the NMC website.

Offline applications shall not be considered by the commission, the public notice said.

All applications will be scrutinised by the commission in consultation with the agencies and departments concerned.

"Shortlisted applicants will be allowed to appear in the examination, to be conducted by the commission or any agency authorised by the commission.

"Applicants who qualify the examination shall be eligible for grant of permanent registration to practise modern medicine or allopathy in India," the notice stated.

The NMC notification on the formation of the Group of Experts, issued on June 20, read: "It is hereby stated that Ministry of Health through its holistic endeavour decided that appropriate guidelines or regulations may be framed to give effect to the decision of conducting proposed examination for persecuted minorities migrating from Pakistan under the direct supervision of National Medical Commission to test their knowledge of modern medicine and granting permanent registration to practise medicine in India.