MCI Gazette on PG Medical Admissions, Selection Procedure : Details

Recently, through a gazetted notification dated 5th April 2018, the Medical Council of India has introducted many amendments to the "Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations, 2000", . MCI informed the admission to PG Medical courses in the country will have to be done on the basis of NEET PG and has also laid down the Procedure for selection of candidate for Postgraduate course

The inclusion of NEET as an entry point to PG Medical couses comes in the form of amendment to the Regulation 9 under the heading "Procedure for selection of candidate for Postgraduate courses" which as been shall be substituted as under:-

Preamble

1. The Parliament of India has amended the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 by the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act 2016. This Amendment Act after receiving the assent of the President has been notified in the Gazette of India on 5th August 2016. The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act 2016 has inserted section 10 D and section 33 (mb) to the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. The said provision provides for a uniform entrance examination to all medical educational institutions at the under graduate level and post graduate level by the "designated authority". By virtue of this Amendment the Parliament has provided legislative sanctity to the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test [hereinafter "NEET"] included in the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations,1997 by Amendments notified in the Official Gazette on 27th December 2010, 27th February 2012 and 23rd October 2012.

2. Earlier the provisions relating to NEET were quashed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court vide its judgment dated 18th July 2013 in Christian Medical College Vellore & Ors. (TC (C) No. 98 of 2012 and other 114 connected petitions). However, on a Review Petition preferred by the Medical Council of India and the Union of India, the Hon'ble Supreme Court vide its order dated 11th April 2016 in Review Petition (c) Nos. 2059-2268 of 2013 captioned as Medical Council of India vs. Christian Medical College Vellore & Ors. has revived NEET Regulations.

The admission to postgraduate courses for the academic year 2017-18 were conducted on the basis of provisions of the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act, 2016 and the NEET Regulations revived by the Hon'ble Supreme Court and in the Terms of the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Act, 2016 the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test is the uniform entrance examination to all medical educational institutions at the post graduate level and shall continue to be the uniform entrance examination to all medical educational institutions at the postgraduate level.

The amendment also spells out the procedure for selection in case of PG Medical Admissions

Procedure for selection of candidate for Postgraduate courses shall be as follows:-

(1) There shall be a uniform entrance examination to all medical educational institutions at the Postgraduate
level namely 'National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test' for admission to postgraduate courses in each academic year and shall be conducted under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.

(2) The "designated authority" to conduct the 'National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test' shall be the National
Board of Examination or any other body/organization so designated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

(3) In order to be eligible for admission to Postgraduate Course for an academic year, it shall be necessary for a
candidate to obtain minimum of marks at 50th percentile in the 'National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test for
Postgraduate courses' held for the said academic year. However, in respect of candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, the minimum marks shall be at 40th percentile. In respect of candidates with benchmark disabilities specified under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the minimum marks shall be at 45th percentile for General Category and 40th percentile for SC/ST/OBC. The percentile shall be determined on the basis of highest marks secured in the All India Common merit list in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for Postgraduate courses.

Provided when sufficient number of candidates in the respective categories fail to secure minimum marks as
prescribed in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test held for any academic year for admission to Postgraduate Courses, the Central Government in consultation with Medical Council of India may at its discretion lower the minimum marks required for admission to Post Graduate Course for candidates belonging to respective categories and marks so lowered by the Central Government shall be applicable for the academic year only.

(4) The reservation of seats in Medical Colleges/institutions for respective categories shall be as per applicable
laws prevailing in States/Union Territories. An all India merit list as well as State-wise merit list of the eligible candidates shall be prepared on the basis of the marks obtained in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test and candidates shall be admitted to Postgraduate Courses from the said merit lists only.

Provided that in determining the merit of candidates who are in service of government/public authority, weightage in the marks may be given by the Government/Competent Authority as an incentive upto 10% of the marks obtained for each year of service in remote and/or difficult areas or Rural areas upto maximum of 30% of the marks obtained in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test. The remote and/or difficult areas or Rural areas shall be as notified by State Government/Competent authority from time to time.".

(5) 5% seats of annual sanctioned intake capacity shall be filled up by persons with benchmark disabilities in
accordance with the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, based on the merit list of
National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test for admission to Postgraduate Medical Courses.

In order to be eligible for admission to Postgraduate Course for an academic year, it shall be necessary for a
candidate to obtain minimum of marks at 50thpercentile in the 'National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test for
Postgraduate courses' held for the said academic year. However, in respect of candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, the minimum marks shall be at 40th percentile.

In respect of candidates with benchmark disabilities specified under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the minimum marks shall be at 45th percentile for General Category and 40th percentile for SC/ST/OBC.

(6) No candidate who has failed to obtain the minimum eligibility marks as prescribed in Sub-Clause (3) above shall be admitted to any Postgraduate courses in the said academic year.

(7) In non-Governmental medical colleges/institutions, 50% (Fifty Percent) of the total seats shall be filled by
State Government or the Authroity appointed by them, and the remaining 50% (Fifty Percent) of the seats shall be filled by the concerned medical colleges/institutions on the basis of the merit list prepared as per the marks obtained in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test." ( NB- This has been superseded by a recent MOHFW order- Read Also-

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(8) 50% of the seats in Postgraduate Diploma Courses shall be reserved for Medical Officers in the Government
service, who have served for at least three years in remote and /or difficult areas and / or Rural areas. After acquiring the Postgraduate Diploma, the Medical Officers shall serve for two more years in remote and /or difficult areas and/or Rural areas as defined by State Government/Competent authority from time to time.

(9) The Universities and other authorities concerned shall organize admission process in such a way that
teaching in broad speciality postgraduate courses starts by 1st May and for super speciality courses by 1st August each year. For this purpose, they shall follow the time schedule indicated in Appendix-III.

(10) There shall be no admission of students in respect of any academic session beyond 31st May for postgraduate
courses and 31st August for super speciality courses under any circumstances. The Universities shall not register any student admitted beyond the said date.

(11) No authority/institution shall admit any candidate to any postgraduate medicine course in contravention of
the criteria/procedure as laid down by these Regulations and/or in violation of the judgements passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in respect of admissions. Any candidate admitted in contravention/violation of aforesaid shall be discharged by the Council forthwith. The authority / institution which grants admission to any student in contravention / violation of the Regulations and / or the judgements passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, shall also be liable to face such action as may be prescribed by the Council, including surrender of seats equivalent to the extent of such admission made from its sanctioned intake capacity for the succeeding academic year / years.".