Common Entrance Test for MBBS and Post Graduate Courses approved by MCI

Medical Council of India (MCI) has approved of a common entrance test for MBBS, BDS and other post graduate medical courses. It has now sent its recommendations to the Health Ministry, which needs to push it further for it approval in the parliament.

The government has asked for MCI’s view on the proposal in its general body meeting on 01 October 2015. According to a senior Health Ministry official, “MCI, in its general body meeting on 01 October 2015, has backed the proposal. As per the existing policy, every state government conducts their own entrance test. Private medical college associations and deemed universities also conduct their own CET. The aspiring candidates have to appear in all the exams. But here under the proposal, there will be a common entrance test for all medical aspirants from across the country and would be of great help to the students.”  

The Medical Council of India has also demanded an amendment in the archaic Medical Council of India Act, 1956 in their general body meeting. In the year 2009 when MCI was headed by Dr. Ketan Desai, the proposal for common entrance test for medical students was first raised. But the Supreme Court in June 2013 ruled out such possibilities by saying that MCI is not granted the powers to hold common entrance test for MBBS, BDS and other post-graduate medical courses as they are “invalid” to do so.