2,300 CPS PG doctors await final exams amid NMC dispute, doctors' body seeks govt intervention

Mumbai: Following a protest by postgraduate medical doctors trained under the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai, over the non-commencement of their final examinations for specialist qualification for more than a year, a doctors' body has highlighted that over 2,300 such doctors are facing career uncertainty and urged the government to pay attention to the issue through social media.

Raising the matter publicly, Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Spokesperson of the Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors Network (IMA JDN), said that around 2,300 doctors who had taken admission to CPS postgraduate diploma courses through NEET-PG via the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) in the 2021–22 session have already completed their courses. However, their final examinations have not been conducted due to the ongoing dispute between the National Medical Commission (NMC) and CPS.

He said CPS have been suspended amid the dispute, leaving the doctors unable to appear for their final examinations and obtain their specialist qualification.

Highlighting the issue on social media platform X, Dr Chauhan stated that the matter is currently pending in court, but the case has not been taken up for the last four hearings, and new dates are repeatedly being given.

He further said that the affected doctors have been waiting for clarity for nearly 10 months.

"For nearly 10 months, these doctors have been waiting at home without clarity, facing significant mental, physical, and financial stress,” he wrote while requesting intervention from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Union Health Minister.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that over 2,300 postgraduate CPS doctors are facing uncertainty as their final examinations for specialist qualification have not been conducted for more than a year. On March 5, 2026, a large group of affected doctors staged a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan, demanding that the state government and the medical education department conduct their long-delayed postgraduate examinations.

The protesting doctors said they have already completed their academic training and hospital postings, but remain unable to obtain their specialist qualifications because the final exams have not been held.

The issue began after the recognition of CPS diplomas and postgraduate programmes was withdrawn in 2022. However, students who had taken admission in the 2021–22 academic session through NEET-PG were allowed to continue their courses. Authorities had assured them that they would be able to complete the programme.

Many of these students have now completed their two-year training programmes. However, their final examinations have not been conducted since November 2024, leaving them without certificates and unable to practise as specialists.

Last year, the Bombay High Court passed an order cancelling the CPS recognition. Following this, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research stopped conducting further exams, leaving students who had already completed their courses but not taken the exams in a difficult situation.

Background

The Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) derecognised all the courses offered by CPS on August 16, 2024, on the grounds of failure to comply with the regulatory mechanism under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019. The show-cause notice stated that the CPS, Mumbai considered itself an examination-like body National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) having authority to give medical qualification. However, it pointed out that while National Board is a government organisation under the NMC Act, CPS is a non-government organisation having no authority to permit or recognise any course of qualification run by any hospital or to conduct examination or award degree.

Earlier in 2025, the Bombay High Court dismissed the plea filed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS) challenging the derecognition of many postgraduate diploma courses that were deleted from the schedule of the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), 1965.

On the same day, the High Court bench had allowed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging permission given to CPS to conduct 10 additional PG courses. The PIL was filed before the High Court by a Mumbai-based doctor, Suhas Pingle.

In the order, the HC bench had also mentioned that the decision taken by the NMC Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) in its July and August 2024 meetings also warranted no interference since it was founded in the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER-2023) "to ensure higher standards of medical education across the country".

However, the bench had mentioned that if CPS were compliant with regulatory norms for maintaining standards in medical education, on ensuring compliance with permission sought under the NMC Act, 2019, it may be able to start the courses in the prescribed manner.

Following this, the matter came for consideration before the Supreme Court in 2025. The Attorney General for India had informed the Apex Court that a viable solution would be arrived at to secure the future of students after the Bombay High Court upheld the derecognition of all PG medical courses offered by CPS Mumbai. Taking note of the issue, the Supreme Court on September 12 requested the intervention of the Attorney General for India to arrive at a viable solution in this regard.

Later, the Central Government agreed before the Supreme Court to grant such students two final opportunities to clear their final examinations. This relief will apply to 852 students of CPS Mumbai, and after clearing their final examinations, they will also be enrolled with the State and National Medical Councils.

Also read- Over 2,300 CPS doctors protest in Mumbai over exams delay