NMC's Conflicting Responses on Georgia MBBS Degrees Raise Regulatory Concerns for Foreign Medical Graduates

Conflicting responses from the National Medical Commission (NMC) regarding the validity of MBBS degrees from Georgia have raised concerns over the eligibility of foreign medical graduates to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) in India.

The medical education regulator provided differing replies to identical queries submitted by aspiring doctors through the PM Grievance Portal. In an initial reply dated September 24, the NMC cited its 2021 regulations, stating that a foreign medical degree would be valid for the FMGE only if the host country grants an independent licence to practise medicine upon completion of the course.

However, in a second reply dated October 13 to a similar question, the NMC stated that provisions concerning the independent licensing system were currently being examined by a competent authority and an expert committee. When a subsequent query asked which of the two replies was valid, the regulator merely reiterated the provisions of the National Medical Commission (Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate) Regulations, 2021.

PTI reached out to Raghav Langer, secretary to the NMC, for clarification, but received no response.

Legal experts have expressed concern that the ambiguous replies are being utilized by education consultants to attract students. Sachin Jain, a Delhi High Court lawyer dealing with medical matters, stated that consultants allegedly receiving commissions from foreign universities are citing the second response to promise students that the independent licence condition will be revoked or bypassed.

"This will jeopardise the careers of thousands of students, as the NMC can only recommend that the government amend the law. It cannot do anything else because the law was framed by Parliament," Jain noted.

Further confusion has arisen from publications by Georgia’s National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE), which has published FAQs regarding its compliance with NMC requirements. While the NCEQE claims Georgia meets the necessary conditions, it also states that graduates of its Medical Doctor programme are entitled to be employed as junior doctors without additional examinations, performing duties under the direction of a person authorized to engage in independent medical practice.

Supreme Court Advocate on Record Ajay Kumar Singh pointed out that working as a junior doctor under supervision differs from holding an independent practice licence. He cautioned that the NCEQE's interpretation could mislead Indian students to the benefit of Georgian medical colleges.

In response to these developments, legal professionals have urged the Union health ministry and the NMC to publish a definitive list of foreign universities and countries that satisfy FMGE eligibility requirements to protect students from potential career setbacks.

"Regulatory clarity is fundamental in education and professional licensing. When regulatory bodies issue conflicting responses, it creates vulnerabilities in the market that unregulated consultants can exploit. For students investing significant capital and time into overseas education, institutional transparency is critical. Educational ventures and advisory services must operate with strict compliance and verified facts, while regulatory authorities need to ensure unambiguous communication to protect students from career risks." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes