MBBS Abroad: Through a recent notice, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has once again emphasised to students and parents the need to strictly adhere to prescribed guidelines and exercise utmost caution while seeking admission to foreign medical institutions.
Please review the advisory below, which is for Indian students seeking admission to foreign universities for undergraduate medical courses in Uzbekistan, and ensure you comply with its stipulations.
In its notice, the Deputy Secretary of the NMC referred to the public notices issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on August 8, 2023, and November 22, 2024; the advisory dated May 19, 2025; and the alert note dated July 21, 2025. In these notices, Indian students aspiring to obtain medical qualifications from foreign medical colleges/institutions, and subsequently seek registration to practice medicine in India, were advised to exercise extreme caution while securing admission to foreign medical institutions/colleges and to strictly comply with the ‘Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021,’ as notified on November 18, 2021.
The Commission has become aware that many Indian students are still trying to enrol in private medical colleges overseas that fail to comply with the prescribed rules and regulations. These institutions frequently use curricula, timelines, and training standards that do not align with the compulsory standards applicable in India.
Regarding this, the notices, alerts, and advisories mentioned above have warned students wishing to study medicine overseas about enrolling in unauthorised foreign medical colleges and offshore programs that breach regulatory rules.
“They have also been advised to exercise full caution before taking admission,” the apex medical commission said. Accordingly, any deviation from the following requirements may lead to disqualification from obtaining registration in India:
| Duration of the Course |
| Medium of Instruction |
| Syllabus and Curriculum |
| Clinical Training |
| Internship or Clerkship arrangements |
Additionally, the NMC outlined the FMGL regulations and stated the following: The NMC’s Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021, clearly define the standards for foreign medical education required to become eligible to practice medicine in India. The key requirements are:
| i. A minimum of 54 months of education undertaken at a single institution. ii. A 12-month internship must be completed at the same foreign university. iii. Clinical training must not be undertaken in fragments or across different countries. iv. The medium of instruction must be English. v. The candidate must have studied the mandatory subjects specified in Schedule I. vi. The degree must be registered with the relevant professional regulatory body, or with the authority competent to grant a license to practice medicine within its jurisdiction in the country where the medical degree was awarded, and must be equivalent to the license granted to citizens of that country for the practice of medicine. |
Alert: Indian Nationals in Medical Institutions/Colleges in Uzbekistan
The NMC has issued this alert specifically concerning admissions sought by Indian nationals in medical institutions/colleges in Uzbekistan, which are as follows:
| Name of Medical College | Admission Alert |
| Bukhara State Medical Institute (BSMI) | Bukhara, Uzbekisthan |
| Samarkand State Medical University (SSMU) | Samarkand, Uzbekistan |
| Tashkent State Medical University (TSMU) | Tashkent, Uzbekistan |
| TIT Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore | An offshore campus of TSMU Termez Branch, situated in Bangalore, India. |
The regulator has notified that this issue was brought to the Commission’s notice via a message received from the Indian Embassy in Tashkent. This message highlights serious concerns regarding the quality and standards of medical education within the country, and also mentions alleged misconduct by agents facilitating such admissions. The message received from the Indian Embassy in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) underscores the following concerns:
I) Reports have been received indicating that medical institutions are admitting students in excess of their stipulated capacity, thereby adversely affecting the quality of medical education.
II) Due to a lack of coordination, students are unable to receive practical training, primarily because the medium of instruction is not English, causing significant difficulties for Indian students.
III) In addition to the aforementioned issues, the Commission has received several complaints alleging that the TSMU Termez Branch (Uzbekistan), in collaboration with the TIT Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore (operating under an offshore campus model), has committed serious violations of the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021, and the relevant advisories issued by the NMC.
IV) The Embassy has also shared statements from Indian students currently studying at Bukhara State University through a private contractor named ‘RARE Company’.
“Based on communications received from the Embassy of India in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), it has been observed that several norms stipulated under the FMGL Regulations, 2021, are not being adhered to.”
