Is it compulsory to give NEET to study medicine abroad ?

I assume you have been reading the rumors swirling around medical studies abroad. As of today, Feb 22 2018, NEET has become compulsory for medical aspirants looking to pursue MBBS abroad. This essentially means students who wish to go abroad for MBBS will have to clear NEET first in order to get NOC from the Medical Council of India (MCI). When they return, they will have to give the FMGE exam as usual to practice in India. This move was approved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare last week. The reasoning behind this move is that most students who return after completing MBBS from countries abroad are not able to pass the FMGE exam. Statistics from last year show only 12% students passed the FMGE exam. The students who don't pass the exam often open up illegal practices which is a major hazard for India's healthcare system. For this reason, MCI will only grant NOC to students who clear NEET to ascertain whether the student has the requisite qualities to pursue MBBS.