FMGs protest outside NMC office demanding withdrawal of online classes compensation notice

New Delhi: Demanding the withdrawal of an NMC notice on mandatory physical onsite compensation for online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) staged a protest outside the office of the National Medical Commission (NMC) today. 

The protest erupted after NMC issued a clarification on March 6, 2026, regarding online classes taken during the pandemic period. FMGs have raised concerns that the clarification has come nearly six years after the pandemic, and they are now being asked to follow the new interpretation, which, according to them, is 'unjust'.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the UGMEB clarified several queries raised by stakeholders and students about the requirement to compensate for online medical education through physical training. 

As per the NMC notice, students who took admission in foreign medical institutions on or before November 18, 2021, the date when the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations (FMGL) 2021 were notified and have compensated their online classes through physical onsite clinical or theory training, completed one year of internship at their foreign medical institution, and passed the examination equivalent to the MBBS exam in India, will be considered under the provisions of the Screening Test Regulations.

However, students who took admission after November 18, 2021, will be governed by the FMGL Regulations 2021 and will be required to undergo one year of mandatory internship in India in accordance with the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) Regulations 2021.

The Commission also clarified that compensation for online classes without extending the study period will not be accepted. According to NMC, foreign medical institutions cannot issue compensation certificates unless the students actually undergo additional physical training for the duration of the online study.

In this regard, the FMGs staged a protest organised by the All Foreign Medical Graduates Association (AFA) and the All India Medical Students Association-Foreign Medical Students Wing (AIMSA), along with the support of FMGs from across India.

According to the protesting graduates, the notice could affect many FMGs who completed part of their medical education through online classes during the COVID-19 period. 

In a post on 'X', the All Foreign Medical Graduates Association (AFA) said, "Today, we FMGs are at the NMC protesting against the notice published by NMC on 6 March 2026, which clarifies COVID-19, online classes. NMC is issuing this clarification six years after the pandemic and is now asking us to follow it. Today, AFA and AIMSA  with the collective support of all FMGs, are demanding that NMC to withdraw this notice."

Also read- NMC clarifies on mandatory physical compensation classes for online MBBS study by FMGs, warns of regulatory violation

AFA also stated that despite the Andhra High Court clearly outlining a few points in its verdict, NMC has still chosen to harass FMGs by issuing arbitrary compensation rules in the public notice dated 06/03/26.

Writing to the Chairman of NMC on March 16, AIMSA had requested the immediate withdrawal of NMC's March 6 notice and reinforcement of the earlier FMG guidelines. 

AIMSA posted on 'X', "Our representatives at NMC are representing all Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) across India and abroad. They are putting forward the concerns and issues related to the recent notice issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC). As per the information received this morning, they will be called by the officials for a discussion on these matters."

On 16.3.2026, representatives from both the associations held a meeting with the Secretary and officials of the NMC regarding the notice. During the meeting, they raised and discussed in detail the concerns and difficulties faced by FMGs due to the recent notification.

Dr Apurv Dalvi, National Convenor of AIMSA, said, "Our representatives strongly conveyed the demand to revise the notice. As per the verbal discussion with officials, the NMC has shown willingness to consider modifying the relevant points in the notice in response to the issues raised by FMGs. This development brings significant hope and relief to FMGs across India and abroad."

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Medical Students Association's Foreign Medical Graduates Wing has also slammed the NMC notice. The association demanded that NMC withdraw its recent notification about introducing mandatory physical compensation classes to compensate for the covid and Ukraine war period online classes.

"We request the NMC and the Union government to allow FMG students to complete their CMRI procedures amicably and start their life in a peaceful manner. While FMGs fully support the objective of maintaining high standards in medical education, the recent clarification has raised serious concerns among thousands of students who had already complied with earlier regulatory guidance and proceeded through the official process accordingly. So it is difficult to follow this sudden retrograde guideline announced by NMC," mentioned the press release. 

The association mentioned that the global pandemic between 2020 and 2022, universities worldwide—including institutions in India—were compelled to adopt online or hybrid teaching models due to lockdowns, travel restrictions, and public health measures.

Recognising these extraordinary circumstances, the National Medical Commission previously issued key public notices:

Public Notice – 07 December 2023, which allowed mechanisms such as clinical clerkship in India to compensate for disruptions in clinical training.

Public Notice – 19 June 2024, which clarified that students who compensated their online education through physical onsite training and successfully passed the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) would be eligible to undergo Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) under the relevant regulations.

Following these guidelines, thousands of FMGs across the country have completed medical education from recognised foreign universities: qualified for the FMGE screening examination, obtained Provisional Registration from State Medical Councils and commenced or completed their CRMI internship in Indian hospitals

However, the recent clarification emphasising strict verification of online study compensation and extension of course duration has created uncertainty for many graduates who have already entered the internship pathway, said the association. 

Along with this, the medical fraternity also showed support to the affected FMGs by opposing the notice and demanding its immediate withdrawal. They emphasised that it is unfair for FMGs to undergo the program once more while the pandemic was not their fault. 

Also read- Doctors demand withdrawal of NMC onsite compensation rule for FMG online classes