FMGs allege registration delays despite NMC guidelines, 430 await clearance in Maharashtra
New Delhi: After the National Medical Commission issued clear guidelines on eligibility for foreign medical graduates (FMGs), thousands of FMGs across the country are still unable to start medical practice due to delays in obtaining permanent registration.
In Maharashtra, around 430 FMGs are awaiting permanent registration. The medicos alleged that the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has not fully implemented the latest rules issued by the Apex Medical Commission, leaving them in uncertainty even after meeting all eligibility criteria.
The Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of NMC, in its revised notice on 18.3.2026, clarified that FMGs who had to attend online classes during their MBBS course abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic or war will not be required to undergo additional clerkship in India if they have already completed the required compensation through physical classes at their parent foreign medical institution.
Such candidates must produce a valid compensatory certificate issued by their foreign medical institute, confirming that the online portion of their course has been duly covered through physical training, additional classes, or extended course duration. Once verified, these FMGs will be considered eligible for registration in India.
"If a candidate/Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) has cleared the FMGE and completed one year of Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) in India, along| with production of compensatory certificate or clerkship completion certificate, as the case may be, the FMG becomes eligible for the registration, subject to the satisfaction of the State Medical Council about the authenticity of the Compensatory Certificate, & if required, to be corroborated from the entry-exit details in the passport of the FEMG," mentioned the notice.
However, these graduates who completed their medical education abroad, underwent a one-year mandatory internship and fulfilled all the criteria, are alleging that the state medical council are delaying their registration and a lack of transparency from the council is affecting their future.
Some students further claim that they are being informally told to undergo one to two more years of internship in India, despite already completing training abroad. If enforced, this could delay their careers and add a financial burden.
The medicos claim that even after multiple visits to the MMC office, they have not received any written clarification. Responses to Right to Information (RTI) applications have also been delayed or unclear.
Speaking to Free Press Journal, a doctor who completed her MBBS from Shandong University’s Cheeloo College of Medicine in China is among many graduates awaiting registration. She alleged that the MMC is not fully implementing guidelines issued by the National Medical Commission, resulting in delays.
Another doctor said her medical education was significantly affected by disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, she cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in January 2026, completed a one-year internship abroad, and met all the requirements laid down by the NMC. She added that nearly 430 students are still waiting for permanent registration.
A doctor from Nashik, who also completed her MBBS in China, finished her one-year internship and cleared FMGE in January 2026, said "I am still awaiting registration to pursue further studies. MMC is not giving a concrete reply. They are giving vague answers and, surprisingly, different responses to different students."
With no clear timeline for resolution, the affected graduates are now planning protests urging authorities to grant permanent registration in line with the NMC’s March 18 notification, establish a fast-track mechanism for processing applications, and ensure transparency and uniform implementation across states.
In Kerala, the situation is also the same. On March 28, the All FMGs Association (AFA) uploaded a video on its official X handle showing a large number of FMGs in Kerala protesting against the Kerala State Medical Council (KSMC) for its non‑compliance with the rules laid down by NMC.
According to the post, KSMC is neither granting permanent registration nor accepting the compensation certificate, despite clear national guidelines.
"The usual waiting time for securing an internship in Kerala is nearly one year, which adds to the hardship faced by FMGs. These delays and denials have created a pattern of injustice that Kerala FMGs have been enduring for far too long," said AFA.
Addressing the registrar of KSMC, the Foreign Medical Students' wing of All India Medical Students' Association (AIMSA-FMSW) also urged the council to implement the NMC notice and grant permanent registration to eligible Foreign Medical Graduates.
"On behalf of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) of Kerala, we All India Medical Students’ Association-Foreign Medical Students’ Wing submit this representation seeking the immediate implementation of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Public Notice dated 18 March 2026 and the grant of Permanent Registration to all eligible FMGs who fall under the provisions of the Screening Test Regulations, 2002," mentioned the letter.
Despite NMC clarifying that State Medical Councils must grant Permanent Registration to eligible FMGs and verification may be conducted based on academic records, compensatory certificates, and passport entry/exit records, the association said that eligible FMGs in Kerala continue to face delays and denial of Permanent Registration despite completing medical education, passing FMGE, fulfilling compensatory requirements, and completing internship in the parent institution.
The association further stated that the continued delay has resulted in the restriction on the right to practice medicine despite meeting all statutory requirements, delay in pursuing postgraduate education, residency, and employment opportunities, financial and professional hardship to FMG doctors and their families and loss of valuable medical workforce at a time when more doctors are needed.
Therefore, they demanded immediate implementation of the NMC Public Notice dated 18/03/2026, permanent registration to eligible FMGs governed under the Screening Test Regulations, 2002, establishment of a transparent and time-bound mechanism for verification and registrationa and equal and fair treatment for FMGs in accordance with national directives.
The issue is not limited to Maharashtra and Kerala; a similar situation is being reported in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as well. AFA raised the matter on social media, urging the NMC to intervene, as several State Medical Councils are allegedly refusing to follow its guidelines. The association has also requested the NMC to hold a meeting with all State Medical Councils and direct them to implement its public notices uniformly.
"States like Kerala, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh are currently denying the NMC clarification issued on 18‑03‑2026, which clearly states that the 6 March notice has been withdrawn, and that the compensation letters already issued by colleges will remain valid. Students who have taken admission before 18 nov 21 will be governed by the Screening Regulation 2002," AFA said in its March 25 post on 'X'.
Commenting on the matter, Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, External Affairs Vice President of AIMSA told Medical Dialogues, "State medical councils often take extra time to verify foreign degrees, transcripts, and university authenticity. Even if NMC issues a notice, some state councils do not implement it quickly due to administrative delays. Many councils still use manual file-based systems instead of fast online verification."
He also said that "Limited staff in medical councils results in slower application processing. Some councils also do extra scrutiny because documents are from outside India, which slows things down. Small issues like name spelling differences or missing attestations cause long delays. Even after verification, the final approval often requires signatures from senior officials who may not clear files quickly."
Dr Kanishka Kalra, general secretary, AIMSA FMGW said "A major concern is the lack of uniformity, where the same NMC notice results in different internship durations across states (6 months in some states and 1 year in others) for the same category of students. Additionally, poor digital integration and communication gaps between NMC, state councils, and candidates create a lack of transparency in application tracking. FMGs who fulfill all criteria are still facing delays due to systematic issues. We are working on uniformity between NMC and State Medical Councils."
