New Delhi: As per Section 13(4A) of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 and Clause 3 of the Screening Test Regulations, 2002, an Indian National/ Overseas Citizen of India possessing a primary medical qualification awarded by any medical institution outside India and who is desirous of getting provisional/ permanent registration from the State Medical Council (SMC) on or after 15/03/2002 can be registered after he/she qualifies a Screening Test conducted by the National Board of Examinations.
As informed by the Medical Council of India (MCI), no specific data of foreign medical graduates who are registered with the MCI/ SMC is available with the Council before 2007. However, since 2007, MCI generated computerized registration certificate and as per the available records from 2007 till mid-2014, a total of 12,858 permanent registrations were granted by MCI in respect of Indian nationals who possess primary medical qualification from various universities outside the country.
As per the information furnished by MCI, a total of 10,22,859 Doctors who possess recognized primary medical qualification, are registered with the MCI/ SMC as on 31st March, 2017. State-wise data is given below:
Number of Doctors Registered with State Medical Councils / Medical Council of India as on 31st March, 2017
| Sr. No. | Name of the Medical Council | Number of Doctors |
| 1. | Andhra Pradesh Medical Council | 86129 |
| 2. | Arunachal Pradesh Medical Council | 792 |
| 3. | Assam Medical Council | 22454 |
| 4. | Bihar Medical Council | 40043 |
| 5. | Chattisgarh Medical Council | 6584 |
| 6. | Delhi Medical Council | 15246 |
| 7. | Goa Medical Council | 3336 |
| 8. | Gujarat Medical Council | 53954 |
| 9. | Haryana Dental & Medical Council | 5717 |
| 10. | Himachal Pradesh Medical Council | 2849 |
| 11. | Jammu & Kashmir | 14188 |
| 12. | Jharkhand Medical Council | 5003 |
| 13. | Karnataka Medical Council | 101273 |
| 14. | Madhya Pradesh Medical Council | 34347 |
| 15. | Maharashtra Medical Council | 153513 |
| 16. | Medical Council of India | 52666 |
| 17. | Nagaland Medical Council | 801 |
| 18. | Orissa Council of Medical Registration | 21681 |
| 19. | Punjab Medical Council | 44682 |
| 20. | Rajasthan Medical Council | 38677 |
| 21. | Sikkim Medical Council | 893 |
| 22. | Tamil Nadu Medical Council | 121847 |
| 23. | Travancore Medical Council | 52474 |
| 24. | Uttar Pradesh Medical Council | 69208 |
| 25. | Uttrakhand Medical Council | 6662 |
| 26. | West Bengal Medical Council | 65486 |
| 27. | Telangana Medical Council | 2354 |
| Total | 10,22,859 |
The Government has taken the following steps to increase the number of doctors in the country:
- Relaxation in the norms for setting up of a medical college in terms of requirement for land, faculty, staff, bed/ bed strength and other infrastructure.
- Strengthening/ upgradation of existing State Government/Central Government Medical Colleges to increase MBBS seats with fund sharing between the Central Government and States.
- Establishment of New Medical Colleges by upgrading district/referral hospitals preferably in underserved districts of the country with fund sharing between the Central Government and States.
- Enhancement of maximum intake capacity at MBBS level from 150 to 250.
- Enhancement of age limit for appointment/extension/re-employment against posts of teachers/dean/principal/ director in medical colleges from 65-70 years.
- DNB qualification has been recognized for appointment as faculty to take care of shortage of faculty.
The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Sh Faggan Singh Kulaste stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.
