CSFK urges Govt to set up FMGE exam centre in Kashmir
Srinagar, July 26: The Civil Society Forum Kashmir (CSFK) has called upon the Jammu and Kashmir Government to establish a Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) centre in the Kashmir Valley, citing serious logistical, financial, and emotional challenges faced by Kashmiri medical graduates who are currently forced to travel outside the region to appear for the exam.
As per a statement issued by CSFK, the forum has urged the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, the Health Minister, and the Secretary of the Health and Medical Education Department to address this longstanding demand of foreign-trained Kashmiri medical graduates.
The FMGE, conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), is a mandatory screening test for Indian citizens who have completed their medical education abroad. Despite a significant number of foreign medical graduates hailing from the Kashmir Valley, there is currently no exam centre in the region. The only available centre in the Union Territory is located in Jammu.
“Due to the absence of an FMGE centre in Kashmir, candidates are compelled to travel to distant states such as Delhi, Punjab, or even further south to appear for the exam,” the CSFK statement reads. “This imposes not just financial burden and logistical difficulties, but also immense mental stress at a crucial point in their professional journey.”
According to data cited by CSFK, other Indian states have multiple FMGE centres—Tamil Nadu and Kerala each host six centres, Gujarat has five, and Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Karnataka have four each. In contrast, Jammu and Kashmir has only one centre located outside the Valley, placing Kashmiri candidates at a clear disadvantage.
The civil society group emphasised that the absence of a local centre contradicts the principles of equitable access and undermines the morale of young professionals returning to serve the healthcare sector. “Let merit be tested, not endurance,” the CSFK said in its appeal.
The forum said setting up an FMGE centre in Srinagar or another suitable location in the Valley would not only reduce travel hardships but also encourage more foreign-trained doctors to return and contribute to the local healthcare system.
CSFK urged the administration to take immediate action, stating that this move would promote fairness, efficiency, and professional support for hundreds of aspiring doctors from Kashmir who are otherwise facing unnecessary obstacles.
