MUMBAI — A growing administrative deadlock between the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has left approximately 430 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in the state unable to begin their medical practice. Despite recent federal guidelines intended to streamline their licensing, these doctors allege significant registration delays that are stalling their careers.
The Implementation Gap
The controversy follows a revised notice issued by the NMC’s Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) on March 18, 2026. This directive clarified that FMGs who attended online classes due to COVID-19 or war disruptions would not be required to undergo additional clerkship in India, provided they physically compensated for that time at their parent foreign institutions.
However, graduates in Maharashtra claim the MMC is not fully implementing these rules. While other regions like Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir have reportedly moved forward with registrations, FMGs in Maharashtra remain stuck in a “limbo”.
Key Obstacles Cited
According to representatives from the All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA) and affected graduates, several factors are contributing to the backlog:
- Manual Processing: Many state councils still rely on manual, file-based verification systems rather than integrated digital platforms.
- Lack of Uniformity: There is a significant lack of transparency and consistency in how different states interpret the same NMC notices, with internship requirements varying wildly.
- Case-by-Case Scrutiny: MMC Administrator Vinki Rughwani stated that the council is dealing with over 2,000 pending applications from the past year and must verify each case individually to ensure no deviation from national policy.
Impact on the Healthcare Workforce
The delay comes at a time when the NMC has announced over 43,000 internship slots nationwide for the 2026-27 academic year to address specialist shortages. For the 430 students currently awaiting permanent registration in Maharashtra, every month of delay risks their eligibility for upcoming postgraduate exams like NEET-PG 2026.
“We have cleared the FMGE and completed our mandatory one-year internship overseas,” said Dr. Rachita Kurmi, a graduate from China. “We ensured all online classes were supported by practical hours, yet we are still not being granted the registration to practice”.
As of April 2026, affected doctors and activists have approached the state’s medical education minister, demanding a fast-track redressal mechanism to resolve the standoff.
