Over 2,300 postgraduate doctors await specialist qualification as exams remain pending for more than a year
Mumbai: More than 2,300 postgraduate medical doctors trained under the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai, are facing uncertainty as their final examinations for specialist qualification have not been conducted for over a year.
On March 5, 2026, a large group of affected doctors staged a peaceful protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, demanding that the state government and the medical education department conduct their long-pending postgraduate examinations.
The protesting doctors said they have already completed their academic coursework and hospital training but are unable to obtain their specialist qualifications as the final examinations have not been held.
The issue began after the recognition of CPS diplomas and postgraduate programmes was withdrawn in 2022. However, students who had secured admission during the 2021–22 academic session through NEET-PG were permitted to continue their courses with the assurance that they would be able to complete the programme.
Many of these students have since completed their two-year training programmes, but their final examinations have not been conducted since November 2024. As a result, they remain without certificates and are unable to practise as specialists.
According to the doctors, the situation worsened after the Bombay High Court cancelled the recognition of CPS programmes. Following this decision, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) stopped conducting further examinations, leaving several students who had completed their courses in a difficult position.
Doctors’ associations have said that at a time when India faces a shortage of specialist doctors, thousands of trained medical professionals are stuck due to administrative and regulatory delays. Many of them have already completed hospital training and continue to serve patients while waiting for their qualifying examinations.
The affected doctors have warned that if the issue is not resolved soon, they may intensify their protests and bring the matter to national attention through larger demonstrations and public engagement. Meanwhile, the matter is currently under consideration before the Supreme Court. The Central Government has earlier informed the court that students would be given two final opportunities to clear their examinations, a relief expected to benefit around 852 CPS
