(1) These regulations may be called the Screening Test Regulations, 2002.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires,

(a) Act means the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956);

(b) Council means the Medical Council of India constituted under Section 3 of the Act;

(c) Permanent Registration means registration for the purpose of enrolment on any State Medical Register or Indian Medical Register after obtaining the Primary Medical qualification followed by completion of such practical training as prescribed either in India or abroad as per the provisions of the Act;

(d) Prescribed means prescribed by regulations made under this Act;

(e) Prescribed Authority means a medical institution or any other examining body authorized by the Central Government/Medical Council of India to conduct Screening Test.

(f) Primary Medical qualification means a medical qualification awarded by any medical institution outside India which is a recognized qualification for enrolment as medical practitioner in the country in which the institution awarding the said qualification is situated and which is equivalent to MBBS in India;

(g) Provisional Registration means provisional registration in a State Medical Register or Indian Medical Register for the purpose of undergoing practical training in India as prescribed and for no other purpose by an Indian citizen possessing any primary medical qualification but has not undergone such practical training after obtaining that qualification as may be required by the rules or regulations in force in the country granting the qualification;

(h) qualifying examination means the examination to be qualified to become eligible for admission to MBBS course in India as prescribed in the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 1997.

(i) registration means either Provisional Registration or Permanent Registration.

Possessing a primary medical qualification awarded by any medical institution outside India who is desirous of getting provisional or permanent registration with the Medical Council of India or any State Medical Council on or after 15-3-2002 shall have to qualify a screening test conducted by the prescribed authority for that purpose as per the provisions of Section 13 of the Act: Provided that a person seeking permanent registration shall not have to qualify the screening test if he/she had already qualified the same before getting his/her provisional registration.

(1) He/she is a citizen of India and possesses any primary medical qualification, either whose name and the institution awarding it are included in the World Directory of Medical Schools, published by the World Health Organisation; or which is confirmed by the Indian Embassy concerned to be a recognised qualification for enrolment as medical practitioner in the country in which the institution awarding the said qualification is situated;

(2) He/she had obtained Eligibility Certificate from the Medical Council of India as per the Eligibility Requirement for taking admission in an undergraduate medical course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulations, 2002 . This requirement shall not be necessary in respect of Indian citizens who have acquired the medical qualifications from foreign medical institutions or have obtained admission in foreign medical institution before 15th March, 2002.

2[(2-A) Indian Citizens/Overseas Citizen of India intending to obtain primary medical qualification from any medical institution outside India, on or after May 2018, shall have to mandatorily qualify the National-Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Admission to MBBS course . The result of the National-Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Admission to MBBS course shall deem to be treated as the Eligibility Certificate for such persons, provided that such persons fulfils the Eligibility Criteria for admission to the MBBS course prescribed in the regulations on Graduate Medical Education, 1997.]

3[Furthermore, the result of NEET shall be valid for a period of three (3) years from the date of declaration of result, entitling a candidate to pursue MBBS or equivalent medical course including pre-medical/language course, if any, followed by MBBS or equivalent medical course.]

The purpose of conducting the screening test shall be only to determine the eligibility or otherwise of a candidate for his or her registration with the Medical Council of India or any State Medical Council and qualifying the same shall not confer any other right, whatsoever, on a candidate.

regarding the Scheme for conducting the screening test and the syllabus of the test shall be announced by the Medical Council of India from time to time for the information of the candidates.

test shall be conducted twice every year as per the Schedule of examination announced by the Prescribed Authority. The procedure of conducting the test shall be in accordance with the Scheme announced by the Medical Council of India in this regard..

be three papers of multiple choice questions in Pre-Clinical, Para-Clinical and Clinical Medicine and its allied subjects including Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The language of the test shall be English. The test for each paper will be of three hours duration.

shall be declared as having passed only if he/she obtains a minimum of 50% (fifty percent) marks in each paper separately. The minimum qualifying marks shall apply to all categories of candidates without exception.

may avail of maximum three chances to appear and pass the test. Actual appearance at the test will constitute an attempt. If he/she does not qualify even in his/her 3rd appearance in the test, the candidate will not be eligible for registration by the Council or by any State Medical Council in India..

Authority shall intimate the result of the Screening Test to the candidates as well as to the Secretary, Medical Council of India and the State Medical Councils. The unsuccessful candidates shall also be appropriately informed. The candidates who qualify the Screening Test may apply to the Secretary, Medical Council of India, New Delhi or to any State Medical Council for provisional registration/permanent registration along with the requisite registration fee in favour of Secretary, Medical Council of India or the State Medical Council. The Medical Council of India or the State Medical Councils shall issue provisional registration to such successful candidates, who are yet to undergo one year internship in an approved institution and issue permanent registration to such eligible candidates who have already undergone one year internship, as the case may be.

1. Published in Part III, Section 4 of the Gazette of India Extra-ordinary issue dated the 18th February, 2002

2. Ins. by Noti. No. MCI-201/2017-Eligi./Gen./176484, dt. 1-3-2018.

3. Ins. by No. MCI-201/2019-Eligi./Gen./187274, dated 14-3-2019 (w.e.f. 15-3-2019).