‘What kind of verification?’: FMGs protest outside NMC office over delayed eligibility certificates

Hundreds of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) staged a protest outside the National Medical Commission (NMC)’s office, demanding long-pending eligibility certificates. The MBBS graduates argued that the commission’s withholding of the certificates has stripped them of several chances of appearing for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), for obtaining the license to practice in India.

Highlighting the issue, the All FMGs Association (AFA) hit out at NMC for ‘systemic failure’ and ‘irresponsible behaviour’. The students’ body alleged that the commission ignored its own guidelines and had not issued the certificates in the verification.

“This is the state of medical education under NMC where even their own guidelines are ignored by them and the foreign medical graduates are left to suffer due to unnecessary delays in issuing eligibility certificates,” the AFA said in a post on X.

Questioning the reason for delay in the process, it said, “Today 50–100 FMGs are sitting in front of the NMC office with a very genuine concern: the NMC has not issued eligibility certificates to them for years, without any clear reason. In the name of “verification,” the process is being indefinitely delayed. What kind of verification takes 1–2 years to complete? This is a clear case of systemic failure and irresponsible behavior.”

FMGL regulations

The FMGs' organisation has requested the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda to address their demands and resolve the issues on priority.

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Earlier this month, around 200 parents gathered in front of the NMC office to protest against the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) 2021 regulations. Many FMGs, especially those from the Philippines, are facing significant challenges due to non-recognition of the pre-medical course, eligibility issues, license and college transfer issues. AFA sought a one-time exemption from the rules.