NMC warns against unauthorised medical colleges
Srinagar, May 23: Like a couple of her other friends, 19-year-old Ayesha Mir (name changed), an enthusiastic NEET aspirant, had dreamt of becoming a doctor since she was a child, her family confident that she would ìmake itî.
However, with only around 1300 MBBS seats available in J&Kís government medical colleges and the cut-throat competition across India, her dreams had started seeming out of reach.
The scores of education consultancies in J&K claim to be the hope of thousands of such dreamers offering a ìperfect solutionî - admission to an ìaffordableî medical college in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, China, or some other South Asia and East Asian country.
ìThe agent promised a recognised degree, low fees, and a swifter path to becoming a doctor. My parents were ready to sell a small plot to make it happen,î Ayesha said.
While the family had paid a part of the money, a deeper dig took them to dark secrets, the ones that the agents never revealed.
The degree would not be valid in India.
Ayesha was almost duped, but many others realised this after wasting time and lakhs of rupees.
An advisory by the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued on May 20, 2025, has warned students and parents about unauthorised medical colleges and misleading agents.
The alert is meant to safeguard aspirants from a potential financial and emotional disaster.
The NMCís advisory ëCaution against unauthorised medical colleges,í underlines a growing issue where aggressive education agents prey on the aspirations of medical students.
The commission has made it clear: Not all medical colleges, especially abroad, are recognised, and enrolling in unapproved institutions could render degrees invalid in India, wasting years of effort and lakhs of rupees.
The NMC has made it amply clear: Institutions not appearing in the NMCís official list are unauthorised and are operating in violation of NMC regulations.
Moreover, the commission ensures to update the list on a regular basis.
In J&K, over 48,000 aspirants registered for NEET-UG in 2024, of which about 25,000 qualified. However, the number of MBBS seats is far less than the demand here, and across India, there is a shortage of MBBS seats despite the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare having dramatically raised the intake capacity of Government Medical Colleges over the past decade.
India has about 16 lakh students competing for just 84,000 MBBS seats.
It is expected that many turn to foreign universities in countries like Russia, China, Nepal, and the Philippines, lured by promises of affordability and global exposure.
Since May 2018, all Indian citizens or Overseas Citizens of India intending to study MBBS abroad are required to pass the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) with minimum qualifying marks. This result is valid for three years and serves as an eligibility certificate.
The NMC does not publish a list of ìapprovedî foreign colleges.
It advises students to check the accreditation by the host countryís medical or education authority.
The MBBS programme must be at least 54 months long, taught in English, and include a curriculum comparable to Indiaís MBBS programme.
A mandatory 12-month internship in the same foreign institution is also required.
In addition, the students must obtain a license to practice medicine in the country where they study.
Starting in August 2025, the National Exit Test (NExT) will replace the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
Foreign graduates must pass NExT and complete an additional 12-month supervised internship in India to gain permanent registration.
