As Nepal initiates counselling rounds for admission to MBBS courses in its medical colleges, experts warn Indian aspirants Nepal fails to meet the requirements needed to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021 to practice in India. This implies that Indian students who have enrolled in Nepal after 2021 or are planning to move there for an MBBS or BDS degree may have to face the risks of uncertainty. As per the recent notification, the Nepal Medical Council (NMC) stated that there is no provision for treating international students as natives while granting licenses to practice in Nepal.
Several Indian students seeking admission to private medical colleges in Nepal are unaware of the licensing regulations. Many students lack adequate knowledge regarding the FMGL Regulations 2021 requirements outlined by the National Medical Commission in India. Additionally, there is no certified list of countries that meet the eligibility prerequisites for getting registered in India as a doctor. As a result, around 700 to 900 students, who move to Nepal for medical education each year, often regret their decision later.
Not equivalent to natives
A student on the condition of anonymity shared their experience. “In 2022, I enrolled in a private medical college in Nepal and paid approximately 40% of the required fees as requested by the college authorities. The Nepal Medical Council (NMC) misled Indian students by promising them a license to practice in Nepal at the time of admission but later changed the rules by releasing a circular in the National Gazette (Nepali Rajpatra) on April 12, 2023. The circular was written in ambiguous language, creating confusion while encouraging more admissions. However, after reaching out to the Indian embassy in Nepal, I learned that the NMC would not provide licenses to international students, complicating their return to India. This notice shattered my dream of becoming a doctor, leaving me with no choice but to abandon my MBBS course and return to India. My parents spent around Rs 20 lakhs on my education in Nepal, which was never refunded.”
On October 17, 2024, Association of Private Medical & Dental College of Nepal issued a circular assuring that the association is committed to ensuring the eligibility of international students for registration upon their return to their home countries. The circular read, “All foreign national students are registered with the NMC during their studies and can appear for the NMC qualifying exam for registration. They shall be considered eligible to obtain the same registration as natives of Nepal. The Association would like to assure all concerned parties that it remains committed to safeguarding the interests of students.”
Dipender Chaubey, a vigilante and study abroad counsellor based in Varanasi, informed Education Times that some private colleges in Nepal have been misleading students and their parents regarding the licensing process for international students. He said, “The association has no legal basis to claim that it can safeguard the interests of foreign national students. Agents in India and Nepal have making money by enrolling gullible students. Meanwhile, Nepal’s medical education body has clarified that while international students can take the licensing exam, there is no provision for these graduates to receive a permanent practising license equivalent to that of Nepali citizens. There are around 2-3 batches of Indian students in Nepal who will have to face the consequences soon after they complete their education. Some have been continuing their course in the hope that the issue might get resolved and some amendments in the policies might take place.”
In response, the NMC quickly countered the association’s claims with an official circular clarifying the facts. This circular read, “Foreign medical practitioners are registered according to NMC Regulation 21(f), which stipulates that applicants must produce a good standing certificate issued by regulatory bodies in their country of origin. However, the NMC would also like to inform students graduating from colleges in Nepal can appear for the licensing exam as per NMC regulation 20(e)3a. Thus, while citizens other than Nepalis may obtain registration under the foreign doctor registration category, it is further clarified that they will not be treated on par with Nepali graduates.”
Good standing certificate
The provisions regarding the registration of foreign medical practitioners in Nepal are outlined in Section 21(f), Chapter 3a of the Nepal Medical Council Regulations, 2024, which has specified several documents, including the good standing certificate. Dr B Srinivas, secretary of, National Medical Commission in India, says, “India issues good standing certificates to students who have studied in India. The document is similar to a usual character certificate, which can be issued by the country where a candidate completed their graduation or postgraduation. However, the medical education regulatory body in India cannot provide this certificate to students who graduated from colleges in Nepal or any other country.”
