Doctors demand withdrawal of NMC onsite compensation rule for FMG online classes
Doctors
New Delhi: Following the clarification issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on mandatory physical onsite compensation for online classes undertaken by Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) during their MBBS studies abroad, the medical fraternity has opposed the notice and demanded its immediate withdrawal, terming it 'unjust'.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the UGMEB clarified several queries raised by stakeholders and students about the requirement to compensate for online medical education through physical training. As per the clarification, students who took admission in foreign medical institutions on or before November 18, 2021, the date when the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations (FMGL) 2021 were notified and have compensated their online classes through physical onsite clinical or theory training, completed one year of internship at their foreign medical institution, and passed the examination equivalent to the MBBS exam in India, will be considered under the provisions of the Screening Test Regulations.
However, students who took admission after November 18, 2021, will be governed by the FMGL Regulations 2021 and will be required to undergo one year of mandatory internship in India in accordance with the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) Regulations 2021.
The Commission also clarified that compensation for online classes without extending the study period will not be accepted. According to NMC, foreign medical institutions cannot issue compensation certificates unless the students actually undergo additional physical training for the duration of the online study.
On the matter, the Democratic Medical Association (DMA India) expressed its serious concern as the association highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic represented an unprecedented global disruption that affected education systems across the world. Due to lockdowns, international travel restrictions, and public health safety protocols, universities worldwide shifted temporarily to online modes of teaching.
Therefore, the association emphasised that FMG students did not choose online education voluntarily; rather, it was an unavoidable arrangement adopted by universities under extraordinary circumstances.
DMA stated that implementing retrospective requirements several years later places an undue burden on students who had enrolled in their institutions in accordance with the prevailing regulations at that time. These students have already devoted several years of their lives, invested substantial financial resources, and completed their academic training under extremely challenging conditions, said the association.
"Moreover, FMGs in India are already required to prove their competence through rigorous regulatory mechanisms such as qualifying for the FMGE/NExT examination and completing the mandatory internship in India. These established processes already ensure that only competent and qualified doctors enter the Indian healthcare system. In this context, imposing additional retrospective requirements risks creating unnecessary barriers for students who acted in good faith during a global emergency," the association said in a press release.
In view of this, the association demanded the immediate withdrawal of the notice which mandates compulsory onsite compensation for online classes conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, exemption for students affected by pandemic-related disruptions, considering that the shift to online education was a global necessity and beyond the control of students, no retrospective implementation of new regulations affecting students who enrolled under previously existing rules and recognition of existing competency assessments such as FMGE/NExT and compulsory internship as sufficient mechanisms to evaluate the clinical competence of FMGs.
Commenting on the matter, Dr Amit Vyas, National President, DMA, told Medical Dialogues, "The COVID-19 Pandemic was an unprecedented global crisis, during which universities worldwide were compelled to adopt online teaching. Penalising FMG students years later for circumstances beyond their control is unjust.
He emphasised that FMGs already undergo rigorous screening through FMGE/NExT and mandatory internship in India, which sufficiently assess their competence. Dr Vyas urged the Government of India and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to intervene and direct the NMC to withdraw the notice.
He further warned that if the issue is not resolved promptly, opposition from the medical fraternity across the country may intensify.
Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chief Patron of FAIMA, told Medical Dialogues, "It is indeed difficult for the foreign medical graduates (FMGs) students to accept the notice because they will have to do the course almost again by physically being present when the pandemic was not their fault. NMC should reconsider the matter."
FAIMA Patron Dr Sandeep Dagar said, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, even Indian medical colleges had to temporarily shift to online classes due to unprecedented circumstances. At the same time, the NMC’s concern appears to be maintaining uniform standards of medical education and ensuring adequate clinical exposure for doctors entering the Indian healthcare system, especially since some foreign universities conducted large portions of MBBS training online with limited hospital-based postings. While safeguarding clinical competence and patient safety is essential, the approach must remain uniform, fair, and pragmatic so that students are not disproportionately burdened for disruptions that occurred globally. The focus should be on ensuring adequate hands-on clinical training rather than creating retrospective hurdles for young doctors."
Similarly, the All FMGs Association (AFA) in a post on 'X' also demanded an immediate clarification and the withdrawal of this unjust notice, stating that despite the Andhra High Court clearly outlining a few points in its verdict, NMC has still chosen to harass FMGs by issuing arbitrary compensation rules in the public notice dated 06/03/26.
The association mentioned that the Court emphasised that repeated, late-coming circulars and internal clarifications of NMC cannot be used to keep such students in uncertainty and cause “confusion and mental agony” after they have already completed their course, FMGE and internship. The Court called Andhra Pradesh Medical Council’s interpretation (that all online duration must be repeated one-to-one in offline mode or by extending stay abroad) an “absurd interpretation” and said it is not sustainable.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr Dhruv Chauhan, National Spokesperson IMA-MSN said, "The recent directive by NMC mandating onsite compensation for Fmgs who attended online classes raises serious concerns. Thousands of students pursued online learning due to unavoidable global disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including IMGs, but penalising them retrospectively creates uncertainty and psychological stress on them. Policy decisions in medical education must be transparent, consistent, and compassionate toward students’ legitimate academic journeys. I request NMC to reconsider this decision as soon as possible."
A surgeon on the social media platform 'X' said, "NMC continues to release new & inconsistent guidelines for FMG students—sometimes a 2-year internship, sometimes compensation for online classes. Even after clearing FMGE, internship seats remain scarce. If studying abroad is an accepted pathway, the rules must be stable!"
Another doctor user said, "Popular opinion- FMGs work incredibly hard. They don’t go abroad cos they failed here, but because medical seats in India are costly and heavily affected by reservations. They return, clear #FMG, and then prepare all over again for #NEETPG. In the end, they’re doctors just like us."
All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) has also written to the Union Health Minister, urging intervention in this reagrd arguing that universities worldwide had shifted to online teaching during the pandemic due to lockdowns and travel restrictions, which was beyond students’ control. AIMSA said imposing retrospective onsite compensation requirements now places an unfair burden on FMGs who pursued their courses under the rules prevailing at that time.
