What Happened on 18 March 2026?
The National Medical Commission (NMC) made an important public announcement on March 18, 2026, concerning Indian students who completed part of their MBBS degree through online methods due to either the COVID-19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine. The notice came from the National Medical Commission (NMC) Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) and was issued with an official reference number U-15024/15/2024-UGMEB(Pt).
Why Was This Notice Issued?
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has previously issued two public notices regarding this matter:
- Public Notice dated December 7, 2023 – the requirement for students to complete a clinical clerkship in India for those who have not had any clinical experience through Online Classes.
- Public Notice dated June 19, 2024 – Clarified the meaning of “Sufficiently Compensated” and details of the required Compensatory Certificate.
Despite the issuance of the above notices, confusion and requests for clarification from students, colleges, and State Medical Councils across the country continued to be received. Therefore, the Notice dated March 18, 2026, has now formally withdrawn and superseded the previous notice dated March 6, 2026, and provided clear and accurate answers to all outstanding questions in a standardized Question/Answer format.
NMC’s concern is to provide clarity and uniformity across all States to ensure that regulatory requirements are uniformly enforced.
The Most Critical Clarification: What Does “Sufficiently Compensated” Actually Mean?
The single term that received the most objections in previous notifications is “sufficiently compensated” and is now defined by NMC:
“Sufficiently Compensated” means that the period of online delivery of theory classes, practical training, and/or internship must be compensated for by the FMG through physical attendance at their foreign medical institution.
The foreign medical institution should take measures to allow students to make up for the online period (e.g., by offering additional classes or extending the course duration) by attending in person.
Students who have completed this and possess an authenticated Compensatory Certificate (with appropriate transcripts) issued by their parent institution will be eligible for registration in India without the requirement to complete additional clerkship.
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How Many Years of Clerkship Will Be Required?
As per the National Medical Commission (NMC), the following applies to students who could not fill out online classes for their foreign parent institution:
- Situation 1: They require a clinical clerkship to be completed in India; from the online classes they took in their final year, they will not receive credit towards meeting this requirement; they will need to complete one year of clinical clerkship to meet the requirement.
- Situation 2: They also require a clinical clerkship to be completed in India; from the online classes they took for their penultimate year, they will not receive credit towards meeting this requirement; they will need to complete two (2) years of clinical clerkship to meet the requirement.
If the student received a valid compensatory certificate from the parent institution, no additional clerkships will be required. Important fee limitation—no FMG may be charged more than ₹ 5,000/month for clerkship fees by any Indian medical college.
Which Regulations Apply to Whom?
There was much uncertainty around this area before the clarification from NMC, which provided clear guidance as to the split:
- For all students that were admitted after the 18th of November 2021, the CRMI regulations of 2021 apply, and students will need to complete 1 year of CRMI in India after passing the FMGE / FMGL Examination.
- For all students admitted before 18th November 2021, the Screening Test Regulations of 2002 apply, and CRMI is only required if returning to India without having completed a mandatory internship at a foreign medical institution.
Additionally, FMGs under this category will not be required to do any CRMI in India if they have already completed their required compensation and internship at their parent institution.
Who Is Responsible for Granting Registration?
A significant source of confusion has been rectified. The NMC has clearly stated that:
The processing of Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) applications and granting permanent registration for FMG will only occur after approval and authorization from the appropriate State Medical Council (SMC) in consultation with the respective State Directorate of Medical Education (DME) in that state.
The SMC will verify and ensure the following information has been verified for the FMG to receive permanent registration:
- The FMG has passed the Screening Test (FMGL) or equivalent.
- The FMG has properly fulfilled their compensatory education requirement at the same foreign educational institution as identified in the SMC records.
- If they did not complete their entire requirement for education at the same institution as identified in the SMC records (the SMC will document this), the FMG documented their required number of hours of clinical training as required under Public Notice 07/12/2023, and the FMG has completed their CRMI.
This is a very strict warning from NMC: Any State will perpetuate a regulatory violation by granting a registration to an FMG without achieving the aforementioned verification function. This is not a ‘recommendation’; it is a regulatory requirement that must be adhered to.
Also Read : NEET UG Result 2026: Expected Date, Cutoff & Rank Details
Practical Steps Every Affected Student Should Take Right Now
Act now. Here are five things you can do to guarantee your Compensatory Certificate is issued and that you are eligible to register with the SMC on or after January 1st, 2020.
- Step: 1) Contact your foreign medical school that supplies the Compensatory Certificate to see whether they have issued it and any supporting documents.
- Step: 2) Compare (and check) your passport against the records of everyone who has entered/exited using that passport to confirm that there are no discrepancies.
- Step: 3) If you cannot receive your Compensatory Certificate from your foreign medical school, ask the DME in your state and the SMC for a clerkship allocation from the SMC.
- Step: 4) Keep working toward the FMGE or NExT whilst waiting for your Compensatory Certificate—this remains a legislative requirement for registration in India regardless of your foreign medical school’s status as a Compensation Provider (SMC).
- Step: 5) Speak to Professional Consultants regarding their experience working within legislation to gain insight into the legal process associated with registering as a physician in India, so that you can avoid unnecessary delays as a result of not understanding how to execute that process correctly.
What This Means for Students Currently Studying Abroad
If you are studying MBBS at a foreign university- especially pursuing MBBS in Russia – and any of your classes have been delivered online, start planning for your compensation now. Do not wait until your final year or after you graduate to begin thinking about compensation.
Begin by speaking with your university’s administration to find out if they have a system for providing in-person compensatory classes/effects (such as longer terms or added on-campus class days). If they do, complete it/a documentation of the completion of these compensatory courses, and send in stamped documentation to receive a certificate from the university. This one piece of documentation could eliminate 1–2 years of additional clerkships being required for you in India.
If there is no personal compensation offered by the university, factor the length of your clerkship required to begin to obtain your registration in India into your return-to-India planning.
Expert Assistance for NMC-Compliant MBBS Abroad
EOCL India specializes in helping students prepare to study internationally in medicine and meeting or exceeding current regulatory requirements set by the National Medical Commission (NMC). EOCL India provides comprehensive assistance for prospective students from the initial step in selecting NMC-accredited institutions through to assisting them with all documents required for admission and processing of visa applications. Contact us fast for fast results.
