Mansoor Peer
Srinagar:- May 21: Thousands of eligible Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in the country, including those from Jammu and Kashmir, are facing hardships in obtaining permanent registration from various State Medical Councils.
The Democratic Medical Association has flagged the issue saying that the FMGs are facing difficulties in obtaining the registration despite fulfilling the prescribed requirements and completing mandatory internship training as per applicable norms.
“Many FMG doctors are facing undue delay in the grant of Permanent Registration due to varying interpretations of the NMC Public Notice dated 18 March 2026 by different State Medical Councils,” said Dr Shubh Pratap Solanki, National General Secretary DMA.
It said that over the past several months, affected FMGs and representatives from various states have continuously approached respective State Medical Councils as well as the National Medical Commission seeking clarification regarding the implementation of the said notification.
He however added that in the absence of a uniform clarification from the competent authority, multiple councils have expressed inability to proceed further with registration processes.
Particular concern has also arisen regarding the recent position adopted by Punjab Medical Council, wherein eligible FMG candidates are reportedly facing difficulties despite possessing valid academic records, compensation certificates, and internship approvals in accordance with NMC norms. This has caused significant uncertainty and mental distress among affected doctors.
The DMA has requested the NMC to issue clarification regarding the interpretation and implementation of Public Notice dated March 18 so that uniformity is maintained across all State Medical Councils.
Recently, representatives of DMA met officials of the NMC and submitted a representation on uniform implementation of the NMC Public Notice to avoid procedural inconsistencies and delays in the registration process.