Georgia MBBS row: Are Indian students eligible for FMGE? Key FAQs explained

Conflicting NMC responses on Georgia's medical degrees have raised doubts over Indian students' FMGE eligibility, with junior doctor registration and independent licensing at the centre of the dispute. Here are the key FAQs.Indian students pursuing MBBS in Georgia are facing uncertainty over their eligibility to practise medicine in India, following differing responses from the National Medical Commission (NMC) on whether they can appear for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).The key point of contention is Regulation 4(b) of India's FMGL Regulations, 2021, which mandates that foreign medical graduates enjoy the same right to practise medicine as citizens of the country where they obtained their degree.In its September 24 response, the NMC indicated that graduates must hold an independent licence to practise in Georgia. However, on October 13, it said the independent licensing provisions were being examined by the competent authority and an expert committee. An October 8 clarification had also stated that junior doctor status alone may not meet the requirement.Meanwhile, Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) defended its six-year Medical Doctor (MD) programme and the professional rights available to its graduates. The differing positions have raised concerns among students, parents and legal experts, with questions also being raised over education consultants allegedly assuring students of automatic FMGE eligibility.At the centre of the dispute is one key question: Does Georgia's junior doctor registration meet India's licensing requirements? GEORGIA MBBS ROW: NMC'S POSITION AND FMGE ELIGIBILITY FAQS1. WHAT IS THE GEORGIA-INDIA MEDICAL EDUCATION CONTROVERSY?The controversy concerns the eligibility of Indian students graduating from Georgian medical universities to appear for the FMGE in India.Under India's FMGL Regulations, 2021, foreign medical graduates must be registered with the relevant medical regulatory authority in the country where they obtained their degree and have the right to practise medicine at par with citizens of that country.However, Georgia follows a system in which graduates of its six-year MD programme can work as junior doctors under the direction and responsibility of an authorised independent medical practitioner.To obtain a licence for independent medical practice, graduates generally need to complete further qualifications, including postgraduate residency and the relevant licensing requirements.The difference between junior doctor registration and independent medical practice has raised questions about whether Georgian medical graduates fulfil India's eligibility requirements.2. WHAT DID THE NMC SAY ON SEPTEMBER 24, 2026?The controversy gained attention after two aspiring doctors approached the PM Grievance Portal, seeking clarification on whether completing a six-year MBBS course in Georgia would make them eligible to appear for the FMGE in India.In its response dated September 24, the NMC reiterated Regulation 4(b) of the FMGL Regulations, 2021. It stated that a foreign medical degree would be valid for the purpose of appearing for the FMGE only if the graduate possessed a licence to practise medicine in the country where the degree was obtained, at par with the licence granted to that country's citizens.The response indicated that completing the Georgian medical programme and receiving junior doctor status would not automatically establish eligibility if the graduate did not possess the required independent practice rights.This triggered concern among Indian students already studying in Georgia and those planning to pursue medical education there.3. WHY DID THE NMC GIVE DIFFERENT RESPONSES ON OCTOBER 8 AND OCTOBER 13?The NMC's subsequent responses added to the confusion. On October 8, the regulator clarified that a foreign medical graduate must possess a licence to practise medicine in the country where the degree was obtained.Addressing the question of junior doctor status in Georgia, the NMC said such registration would be sufficient only if it legally permitted practice at the required level. If independent medical practice in Georgia was allowed only after completing postgraduate certification, junior doctor status alone would not satisfy Regulation 4(b).However, in a response dated October 13 to another candidate who had raised a similar question, the NMC said the provisions concerning the independent licensing system were being examined by the competent authority and an expert committee.The response raised questions about whether the regulator was reconsidering its earlier interpretation or was yet to arrive at a final determination. The confusion continued when a third query was reportedly submitted through the PM Grievance Portal, asking which of the earlier responses was applicable. The NMC reiterated the provisions of the FMGL Regulations, 2021, without clearly resolving the contradiction.The differing responses have left students uncertain about the exact regulatory position.4. WHAT DO INDIA'S FMGL REGULATIONS, 2021, SAY ABOUT FOREIGN MEDICAL DEGREES?The National Medical Commission notified the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations on November 18, 2021, which apply to Indian students who enrolled in foreign medical institutions after the notification date. Under Regulation 4, foreign medical graduates must complete a medical course of at least 54 months, followed by a minimum 12-month internship at the same foreign medical institution.They must receive medical education in English, study the mandatory subjects specified in Schedule I, and be registered with the relevant medical regulatory authority in the country where they obtained their degree, with the right to practise medicine at par with that country's citizens.Additionally, they must complete a minimum 12-month supervised internship in India and clear the prescribed screening or licensing examination to become eligible for registration in India.Regulation 4(b), which deals with registration and the right to practise medicine in the country where the qualification was obtained, has become the central point of disagreement between India and Georgia.5. WHAT IS GEORGIA'S SIX-YEAR MD PROGRAMME, AND HOW DOES IT WORK?Georgia offers a six-year Medical Doctor (MD) programme, which is its primary medical qualification. According to Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, the programme comprises at least 360 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits.The six-year course includes clinical training and a mandatory internship during the final year. English-taught programmes are also available for international students, including Indians.The Georgian authority maintains that its medical education structure fulfils the academic requirements specified under India's FMGL Regulations, 2021.However, the controversy is not limited to the duration or academic structure of the programme. It also concerns the professional rights graduates receive after completing their degrees.6. WHAT IS A JUNIOR DOCTOR IN GEORGIA? CAN GRADUATES PRACTISE INDEPENDENTLY?This is the most important aspect of the controversy. Under Georgia's Law on Medical Practice, graduates of Medical Doctor programmes can be employed as junior doctors without taking additional examinations to obtain that status.A junior doctor can perform medical duties under the direction and responsibility of a person authorised to engage in independent medical practice.Georgia's law also provides for certain clinical responsibilities, including emergency medical care, within the applicable legal framework.However, junior doctor status is different from holding a licence for independent medical practice.To obtain independent practice rights, graduates generally need to fulfil additional requirements, including the National Post-Diploma Qualification Examination (NPDQE), postgraduate residency in a recognised specialisation and the relevant licensing requirements.This distinction is central to India's concern. The NMC requires foreign medical graduates to possess the prescribed right to practise in the country where they studied. Whether Georgia's junior doctor registration meets this requirement remains disputed.7. WHAT HAS GEORGIA SAID IN DEFENCE OF ITS MEDICAL DEGREES?On October 14, Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement issued an updated 17-point clarification explaining its medical education system and the professional rights of graduates.The Georgian authority maintained that its six-year MD programme meets the academic requirements under India's FMGL Regulations, 2021. It also argued that graduates, irrespective of their nationality, are entitled to work as junior doctors under Georgian law.According to the clarification, junior doctors have legally recognised professional responsibilities and can perform clinical duties under the supervision and responsibility of an authorised independent medical practitioner.The NCEQE also said that Georgian and foreign graduates have identical professional rights when it comes to holding junior doctor positions. However, the clarification has itself become a point of disagreement.Legal experts have questioned Georgia's claim that its programme fulfils India's requirements, pointing out that the same clarification acknowledges that junior doctors perform their duties under the direction and responsibility of an independent medical practitioner.They argue that being eligible for supervised junior doctor employment cannot automatically be equated with holding an independent licence to practise medicine. The Georgian authority's explanation, therefore, has not settled the question of FMGE eligibility in India.8. ARE EDUCATION CONSULTANTS MISLEADING INDIAN STUDENTS ABOUT GEORGIAN MEDICAL DEGREES?The NMC's differing responses have also raised concerns about the role of education consultants involved in admissions to foreign medical universities.Legal experts have alleged that some consultants, purportedly working in collusion with foreign medical colleges for hefty commissions, are using the NMC's October 13 response to assure students that the independent licensing condition may be revoked or bypassed.Sachin Jain, a Delhi High Court lawyer who deals with medical matters, warned that such assurances could jeopardise the careers of thousands of students.He argued that the NMC cannot independently bypass or revoke a statutory requirement and that any amendment to the regulations would need to follow the applicable legal process.Another legal expert, Ajay Kumar Singh, Advocate-on-Record at the Supreme Court, questioned Georgia's interpretation of its junior doctor registration system.He pointed out that the NCEQE itself states that junior doctors perform medical duties under the direction and responsibility of an authorised independent practitioner.The experts have warned students against relying on verbal assurances or admission promises that suggest a six-year Georgian MD degree automatically guarantees FMGE eligibility.9. WHAT DID THE INDIAN EMBASSY ADVISE STUDENTS PLANNING TO STUDY MEDICINE IN GEORGIA?The questions over junior doctor registration and independent medical practice had surfaced earlier as well. The Embassy of India in Yerevan issued an advisory in September 2022 for Indian students planning to pursue medical education in Georgia.The advisory explained that students completing their undergraduate medical studies in Georgia could work as junior doctors. However, independent medical practice required additional qualifications.These included clearing the National Post-Diploma Qualification Examination, completing postgraduate education or residency in the chosen specialisation and obtaining the relevant licence to practise independently.The advisory also highlighted the difference between completing an undergraduate medical programme and becoming eligible for independent medical practice.This earlier clarification is significant because it shows that questions over the professional rights of Georgian medical graduates have existed for several years and did not emerge only in September 2026.10. CAN INDIAN STUDENTS IN GEORGIA APPEAR FOR FMGE?There is no blanket determination establishing that all Georgian medical graduates are ineligible for FMGE. However, the NMC's licensing requirement has created uncertainty over whether junior doctor registration alone is sufficient.For students currently pursuing medical education in Georgia, completing the six-year programme does not automatically settle the question of FMGE eligibility. They need to understand the registration and professional rights they will receive after graduation and whether these satisfy India's regulatory requirements.Medical students who have already graduated should establish whether their Georgian registration or licence fulfils Regulation 4(b). They should not assume that a junior doctor certificate is equivalent to an independent practice licence.Further, students planning to study medicine in Georgia should verify the university's accreditation, course duration, internship arrangements and medium of instruction.They should also understand the difference between junior doctor registration and independent medical practice, obtain written details of post-graduation licensing and seek clarification from the NMC on FMGL eligibility rather than relying solely on consultants' assurances.Legal experts have urged the NMC and the Union Health Ministry to publish a country-wise or university-wise list of foreign medical qualifications that meet India's FMGE eligibility requirements.Until a clear clarification is issued on whether Georgia's junior doctor registration satisfies Regulation 4(b), students should exercise caution before taking admission based on promises of automatic eligibility to practise in India.- Ends