Indian students pursuing medical education in Georgia are facing uncertainty over their eligibility to practise medicine in India after conflicting responses from the National Medical Commission (NMC) on the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
The dispute centres on Regulation 4(b) of India's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021. It requires foreign medical graduates to have the right to practise medicine in the country where they obtained their qualification, at par with that country's citizens.
The NMC's September 24, 2026, response indicated that graduates must hold an independent licence to practise in Georgia. However, its October 13 response said the country's independent licensing provisions were being examined by the competent authority and an expert committee. An October 8 clarification had also raised questions about whether junior doctor registration was sufficient.
What Did the NMC Say About Georgia MBBS Degrees?
The September 24 response followed queries submitted through the PM Grievance Portal by aspiring doctors seeking clarity on whether completing Georgia's six-year medical programme would make them eligible for FMGE.
The NMC reiterated that foreign medical graduates must possess the prescribed licence to practise in the country where they obtained their degree. Its October 8 clarification added that junior doctor registration would meet the requirement only if it legally provided the necessary level of practice rights.
On October 13, however, the regulator stated that Georgia's independent licensing provisions were under examination. This has left students uncertain about which interpretation will ultimately apply.
What Do India's FMGL Regulations, 2021, Require?
The regulations, notified on November 18, 2021, prescribe several conditions for foreign medical qualifications. These include:
- A medical course lasting at least 54 months.
- A minimum 12-month internship at the same foreign medical institution.
- English as the medium of instruction.
- Completion of the mandatory subjects specified in the regulations.
- Registration with the relevant medical authority abroad, with practice rights at par with local citizens.
- A further 12-month supervised internship in India.
- Passing the prescribed screening or licensing examination.
Regulation 4(b), particularly its requirement concerning professional registration and practice rights abroad, is at the heart of the Georgia dispute.
Does Georgia's Six-Year MD Programme Meet the Requirements?
Georgia offers a six-year Medical Doctor (MD) programme comprising at least 360 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits. The course includes clinical training and a mandatory final-year internship.
The National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) maintains that the programme meets India's academic requirements. However, the controversy is not only about course duration or academic content. It concerns the professional status graduates receive after completing the degree.
What Is Junior Doctor Registration in Georgia?
Under Georgia's Law on Medical Practice, medical graduates can work as junior doctors under the direction and responsibility of an authorised independent medical practitioner.
This status allows them to perform certain clinical duties within the applicable legal framework, but it is different from independent medical practice.
Graduates generally need further qualifications, including the National Post-Diploma Qualification Examination (NPDQE), postgraduate residency in a recognised specialisation and the relevant licensing requirements, to obtain independent practice rights.
Whether junior doctor registration alone satisfies India's Regulation 4(b) remains unresolved.
What Has Georgia Said in Defence of Its Medical Degrees?
On October 14, Georgia's NCEQE issued a 17-point clarification defending its six-year MD programme and the professional rights of its graduates.
It stated that Georgian and international graduates have equal eligibility for junior doctor positions and can perform clinical duties under the supervision of authorised independent practitioners.
However, legal experts have questioned whether supervised junior doctor employment can be treated as equivalent to holding an independent licence to practise medicine.
Are Education Consultants Giving Misleading Assurances?
The conflicting NMC responses have also raised concerns about education consultants allegedly assuring students that Georgian medical degrees automatically qualify them for FMGE.
Delhi High Court lawyer Sachin Jain warned that such assurances could put students' careers at risk. Supreme Court Advocate-on-Record Ajay Kumar Singh also questioned whether Georgia's junior doctor registration meets India's licensing requirement.
Experts have cautioned students against relying on verbal promises or admission assurances without written regulatory clarification.
What Did the Indian Embassy Previously Advise?
The Embassy of India in Yerevan issued an advisory in September 2022 explaining that graduates of Georgian medical programmes could work as junior doctors, while independent practice required additional qualifications, postgraduate education or residency and the relevant licence.
The advisory indicates that the distinction between undergraduate medical education and independent practice rights existed well before the current controversy.
Can Indian Students in Georgia Appear for FMGE?
There is currently no blanket determination in the supplied information declaring all Georgian medical graduates ineligible for FMGE. However, the NMC's interpretation of Regulation 4(b) has created uncertainty over whether junior doctor registration is sufficient.
Students should verify their university's accreditation, course duration, internship arrangements and post-graduation registration rights. They should also seek written clarification from the NMC rather than relying solely on consultants' assurances.
The issue has particular significance for Indian students who enrolled in Georgia after the 2021 regulations came into force. The source highlights nearly 20,000 Indian students from the 2021 batch as a group awaiting clarity.
A definitive clarification from the NMC and the Union Health Ministry could help establish whether Georgia's junior doctor registration meets India's requirements and what options are available to affected graduates.
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