Foreign Medical Graduates Exam: In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court recently upheld the National Medical Commission’s decision to bar Indian students who obtained medical qualifications by studying at multiple foreign institutions from appearing for the ‘Foreign Medical Graduate Examination’ (FMGE). The Court stated that such “qualifications would certainly compromise the quality of medical professionals in the country.”
What is the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE)?
This examination is mandatory for Indians and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) who obtain medical qualifications abroad and wish to register to practice allopathic medicine in India.
In its verdict, the Court observed that such “fragmented education” was not in the “public interest” and dismissed the petitions of students who had challenged the Medical Commission’s decision declaring them ineligible for the exam scheduled for May 14, 2025.
Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia stated that foreign medical degrees must be attested by the Indian Embassy or apostilled by the relevant authority in the country where the degree was issued, as mandated by the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE) information bulletin.
An apostilled document carries an official government certificate verifying the authenticity of the signatures and seals on the document, enabling its use in another country.
The Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE) information bulletin is the official rulebook and guide published by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS); it provides details regarding eligibility criteria, the application process, the exam pattern, and important dates for the ‘Foreign Medical Graduate Examination.’
Key Observations
The Chief Justice’s ruling on September 3 stated, “If a medical degree obtained through fragmented study across different medical colleges (in this case, two or three separate foreign medical colleges) is treated as a valid Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ), it would not be in the public interest. This would compromise the quality of medical professionals in the country.” The order emphasised that the examination board must scrutinise candidates’ qualification documents to prevent individuals using fraudulent certificates from taking the exam.
One Degree, Two Colleges
The students (petitioners) appearing before the High Court were Indian citizens who had studied medicine at foreign medical colleges and wished to appear for the ‘Foreign Medical Graduate Examination’ (FMGE) to register and practice in India. They challenged the rule requiring the attestation or apostillization of foreign medical degrees, as well as the rule excluding foreign medical institutions that were not confirmed by the Indian Embassy.
They explained that they had initially studied at Micronesia Medical College but later transferred to other foreign institutions, including Belize Medical University, due to compelling reasons (such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the civil war, the Russia-Ukraine war, and personal circumstances). Ultimately, they obtained their medical qualification from Micronesia Medical College. When they applied for the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE) in June 2023, they were denied permission to sit for the exam because the Indian Embassy had not attested their Micronesia qualification.
While applying for the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam (FMGE) in December 2023, they submitted qualifications from Belize Medical University instead. Under the Medical Commission’s regulations, students can apply for the examination twice a year in June and December. Following an investigation, officials found that the petitioners had presented qualifications from two different institutions for the same period of study and declared them ineligible for the examination.
The students appealed to the ‘Examination Ethics Committee’ of the ‘National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences,’ which declared them ineligible in a communication dated May 14, 2025.
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