Timor-Leste offers MBBS for Rs 18 lakh, says Ambassador
Karlito Nunes, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to India, addresses a press conference on the MBBS programme at Universidade Católica Timorense (UCT), organised by Indian Doctors Destiny India & Overseas at the Press Club in Somajiguda, Hyderabad on Sunday.
Timor-Leste Ambassador Karlito Nunes highlights the country's growing partnership with India in medical education, offering Indian students an affordable MBBS pathway aligned with the Indian curriculum.
Hyderabad: Stating that Timor-Leste is one of the most democratic and among the top 10 peaceful countries in Asia, the country's Ambassador to India, Karlito Nunes, on Sunday said it is a reliable destination for Indian students to pursue MBBS at an approximate cost of Rs 18 lakh.
Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, Ambassador Karlito Nunes said that more than 600 Indian medical students, particularly from South India, are currently pursuing MBBS in Timor-Leste.
He said India and Timor-Leste have enjoyed bilateral relations since 2003, with cooperation steadily expanding over the years. He recalled that President Droupadi Murmu had visited Timor-Leste, further strengthening ties between the two countries.
Both nations have established embassies, and cooperation in the field of medical education is also growing.
"With collaboration in medical education, both countries can strengthen people-to-people ties. Timor-Leste is one of the most democratic countries in Asia and a reliable destination for Indian students. We are currently partnering with two universities - Universidade Católica Timorense (UCT) and UNPAZ, both located in the capital city, Dili," Karlito Nunes said. University representatives Mahendra Naidu and Srinivas Surapaneni said the universities follow an academic curriculum aligned with the Indian medical education system. They said the MBBS programme is of four-and-a-half years, followed by a one-year internship, similar to the Indian pattern.
Mahendra Naidu said Timor-Leste is the only country that closely follows the Indian medical education system. Located between Australia and Indonesia, the country has long-standing ties with India despite being relatively less known among Indian students.
He said students studying MBBS abroad are required to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) Examination to practise in India. According to him, the FMG pass percentage last year was only 12 per cent, with the remaining 88 per cent failing the examination. He attributed this largely to language and communication barriers faced by students in several foreign universities.
Naidu said nearly 70 per cent of the faculty members in Timor-Leste's partner universities are Indians, making it easier for Indian students to adapt academically.
"With a comparatively lower budget, students can complete their entire MBBS course in Timor-Leste. The amount spent on one year's MBBS education in many Indian private colleges is sufficient to complete the entire course in Timor-Leste, which costs around `18 lakh," he said.
He added that Timor-Leste has climatic conditions similar to many parts of India, providing students with a familiar environment comparable to cities such as Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam.
