NMC proposes to reinstate 10-year rule in MBBS without diluting rigour

NMC proposes to reinstate 10-year rule in MBBS without diluting rigour

The proposed relaxation is likely to benefit students facing academic losses, and health concerns, offering them more flexibility 

Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com 08.06.2026 EDUCATION TIMES 

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has proposed a key amendment to the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023, which could give MBBS students an additional year to complete their undergraduate medical education, taking the total duration to 10 years. The draft notification, titled ‘Graduate Medical Education (Amendment) Regulations, 2026’, has been placed in the public domain for feedback and objections. 

Under the existing regulations, students are required to complete the MBBS programme within nine years from the date of admission. The proposed amendment seeks to extend this limit to 10 years, including the compulsory rotating medical internship, offering students greater flexibility to manage academic, personal, or unforeseen challenges during the programme. 

Speaking to Education Times , NMC officials say, “The proposed amendment seeks to provide limited additional flexibility to students for completion of the MBBS programme in exceptional circumstances, while fully preserving the academic standards and competency requirements prescribed under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER) 2023. The amendment does not reduce, dilute or waive any academic requirement. Students will continue to be required to successfully complete all professional examinations, mandatory competencies and the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship before being awarded the MBBS degree. 

The proposal merely extends the maximum permissible period for completion of the course from nine years to 10 years.” Medical education being a long-duration programme, students may occasionally face genuine academic, personal, health-related or other unforeseen circumstances that interrupt the normal progression of their studies. “The proposed amendment is intended to address such situations in a humane and pragmatic manner without compromising educational standards,” the officials add. 

A former NMC official on condition of anonymity, points out that the proposed amendment will be beneficial for students from rural Rajasthan, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, who have entered medical education through NEET but struggle to follow lessons in English. “The additional year can be a critical buffer, reducing the risk of students dropping out early due to language barriers,” he adds. 

Cap on Attempts 

Under the proposed changes, no student will be allowed more than four attempts to clear the first professional MBBS examination, a provision that remains unchanged. However, students would be allowed to continue the undergraduate medical course for up to 10 years from the date of admission, including the internship period. 

This is in alignment with the NMC’s Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) regulations, 2021. “A cap of four attempts in the first professional exam is unjustified, more so if students are in their first year and are still new to the system. If all MBBS students are given one year’s additional time, then why restrict them at a crucial stage?

 Further, the proposal will give private players an opportunity to blackmail students if they have faltered on fee payment. The cap could be used as a tool to instil fear among them with threats of imminent failure if they do not pay up,” the source adds. 

The proposed relaxation which seeks to bring back the 10-year rule, is likely to benefit students facing academic losses, health concerns, personal emergencies, or other unforeseen circumstances, offering them more flexibility to complete their medical education without losing eligibility

FMGs awaiting up to 2 years for internship, some take delivery jobs to survive:

FMGs awaiting up to 2 years for internship, some take delivery jobs to survive: 

Medicos urge NMC, Health Minister's intervention 

Written By : Adity SahaPublished On 4 June 2026 2:30 PM | Updated On 4 June 2026 2:30 PM

Chennai: Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Tamil Nadu are allegedly waiting for up to two years to secure a Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) seat.

The situation is reportedly so difficult that some FMGs have taken up food delivery jobs while waiting for internship opportunities, according to a message shared by the All FMGs Association (AFA), which has urged authorities to take immediate action.

Under the National Medical Commission regulations, FMGs are required to complete their foreign medical degree, clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, complete the mandatory internship/CRMI in India and obtain permanent registration to practice in India.

Without completing the mandatory internship, FMGs cannot obtain permanent medical registration and are therefore unable to legally practice medicine in India. As a result, delays in internship allotment can leave qualified FMGs waiting for months or even years before they can start their careers.

Also read- NMC extends FMG internship in non-teaching hospitals till May 2028: All FMGs Association

Raising concerns over the issue, the All FMGs Association (AFA) has urged Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and the National Medical Commission (NMC) to address long-pending issues related to internship allotment, registration and stipend payments.

In a post on X, the association shared a message allegedly received from an FMG in Tamil Nadu, who described the condition of the graduates there and requested action.

On this, AFA said, "This is the message we received from FMGs in Tamil Nadu, and honestly, it shattered my heart. This is the reality of FMGs in India… even after clearing one of the toughest exams in the country, FMGE. On one side, NMC officials proudly meet foreign delegates, sign MoUs, and promote MBBS abroad to “strengthen bilateral relations.” But on the other side, the same NMC is unable to ensure that State Medical Councils follow its own rules."

Many FMGs facing similar issues across the country have alleged that, despite clear NMC instructions, several State Medical Councils are refusing to allot them internship seats on time.

Medical Dialogues, a week ago, reported that around 104 medical graduates, despite clearing the screening test, i.e., the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), have been waiting for an internship program for the past two years, which is mandatory for FMGs to obtain their medical registration to practice. Frustrated by the delay, they have appealed to the West Bengal Chief Minister, seeking urgent intervention to ensure allocation of internship seats and implementation of the full National Medical Commission (NMC)-approved internship seat matrix in the state.

Calling the situation unfair, AFA said that many FMGs continue to struggle even after clearing the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), one of the mandatory requirements for practising medicine in India.

Highlighting the challenges faced by FMGs, AFA claimed that several states are not allotting internship seats despite vacancies being available. It also alleged that in some states, graduates are forced to wait for nearly two years to begin their internships.

Further, the association stated that many FMGs who have already completed their internships are still awaiting permanent registration. It also alleged that certain states are requiring graduates to undergo additional years of internship, despite NMC advisories and public notices on the matter.

And in most states, the association said that FMGs are working without a stipend, surviving on hope alone.

Tagging the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Medical Commission in its post, AFA said that these issues have been going on since the COVID-19 pandemic and require urgent attention.

"How long will FMGs keep suffering like this? We are not asking for privilege. We are not asking for shortcuts. We are only asking for basic fairness. Don’t punish FMGs for choosing MBBS abroad. We only want to serve our country, support our parents, and build a dignified life," the association added.

Commenting on this, Dr Samar Kumar, Vice President, AIMSA FMSW & AFA, told Medical Dialogues, "Every month, only two to three FMGs are being allotted internships, while many others have been waiting for 1.5 to 2 years. The major concern is that the Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC) has sufficient internship seats available but is not utilizing non-teaching hospitals for FMG internships. Despite the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines and notifications permitting non-teaching hospitals to conduct internships, TNMC continues to allot FMGs primarily to private medical colleges. This has created several problems."

He said, "Many private medical colleges charge FMGs for internship training, which is against NMC guidelines. Furthermore, most of these institutions do not provide stipends to FMG interns. As a result, many FMGs in Tamil Nadu are facing significant financial and mental stress. Some are even compelled to work as delivery personnel for companies such as Zomato and Swiggy to support themselves and their families while waiting for internship opportunities. We have repeatedly sought clarification and intervention from the Tamil Nadu Medical Council and the Health Ministry of Tamil Nadu. However, no adequate response or effective action has been taken so far."

The association has urged the Tamil Nadu Medical Council to utilize non-teaching hospitals for FMG internships and ensure the timely allotment of internships to all eligible FMGs.

Along with this, the association also requested NMC to kindly issue appropriate directions to TNMC to address this issue and ensure compliance with NMC guidelines.

NMC mandates MBBS fees only for 4.5 years, not full course duration, to ensure fairness

NMC mandates MBBS fees only for 4.5 years, not full course duration, to ensure fairness 

Certain medical colleges are not just charging fees for the full 5.5 years but are failing to pay stipends during the internship

 Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com EDUCATION TIMES DELHI

20.04.2026

To make medical education affordable and transparent, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a notice instructing all medical colleges to charge MBBS fees strictly for the prescribed academic duration of 4.5 years, and not for the entire 5 or 5.5 years of the programme. 

The directive comes in the wake of complaints that several institutions were collecting fees for the full course duration, including the internship period, even though it does not involve formal academic teaching period for the full duration. The Commission has reaffirmed that the MBBS programme comprises 4.5 years (54 months) of academic study, followed by a one-year compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI). Since the internship does not involve classroom-based teaching, charging fees for this period violates prescribed norms. 

The NMC further noted that such practices create unnecessary financial burden on the students and do not align with the framework laid out under the NMC Act, 2019 and the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024. Empowering Students Speaking to Education Times , an NMC official says, “Medical colleges are permitted to charge tuition fees only for 4.5 years, which corresponds to the duration of the academic programme. The subsequent one-year internship is a period of clinical training, during which students work in hospitals and are not to be charged tuition fees. Majority of the institutions adhere to this norm. However, the NMC has received complaints that a few colleges are collecting fees for the entire  5.5-year duration, which is not permissible. 

This concern has prompted the issuance of a public notice.” Highlighting that such practices are not witnessed in government medical colleges, he adds that there were also complaints that certain colleges are not just charging fees for the full 5.5 years but are additionally failing to pay stipends during the internship period. “In cases where noncompliance is established, the NMC will take strict disciplinary action, including the imposition of substantial financial penalties and other regulatory measures as deemed appropriate. The public notice is expected to bring much-needed clarity on the issue and reinforce adherence to existing regulations,” he says.

 Importantly, there has always been a legal basis for students to challenge the collection of excess fees. “This notice serves to reiterate those provisions and to better inform and empower students,” the NMC official adds. Since students are supposed to receive stipends as interns, it should be treated more like an onthe-job training than structured classroom teaching. “Unlike the 4.5 years of formal instruction, the internship year is primarily hands-on, bedside learning without a defined teaching framework. 

Given that students contribute to patient care, and in the light of related court proceedings, it was deemed both ethically and practically inappropriate to levy fees for this period. Consequently, separating the internship from the feebearing academic years is a justified and positive move,” says a health ministry official on condition of anonymity. Government colleges typically charge a modest annual fee of Rs 20,000–30,000 per annum, which is unlikely to pose a significant financial burden on students. “But with private colleges charging fees of around Rs 1 crore for the entire course–though this may vary across states, quota and universities–the challenges get compounded. 

Post the notice, students would no longer have to pay the additional amount in their internship year. For violations, if any, the NMC has the power to reduce the number of seats which will affect the monetary capability of the colleges engaging in this exploitative activity. Alternatively, the NMC can penalise the colleges with Rs 1 crore fine, as it did recently to seven medical colleges that were not paying stipends,” adds the official. 

A recurring concern is that the stipend paid during internship is only a fraction of the fees charged, effectively making students pay to work. “These complaints have been reported across multiple states, with notable frequen-cy in tier-II and tier-III areas,” says Dr Aviral Mathur, consultant, Sir Gangaram Hospital, organising secretary FORDA and past FORDA president.

 Regulatory Control 

Enforcement of the NMC directive, Dr Mathur says, will likely rely on  inspections and recognition of renewals. “Regulatory control through accreditation is the main lever. Colleges, especially newer ones, will need to demonstrate strict compliance, failing which they risk adverse action, including potential derecognition,” he says. 

The directive is expected to provide relief by eliminating a year of unjustified tuition, thereby reducing financial burden, loans, and EMIs. “This is particularly relevant at a stage when students are balancing clinical training with preparation for PG entrance exams. The extent of relief will depend on how uniformly institutions implement the directive,” Dr Mathur says, emphasising that the impact on overall affordability will however be limited.

 While the notice may standardise one aspect of fee practices, the broader issue includes multiple additional charges throughout UG and PG training. “There is also a foreseeable risk that institutions may offset this loss by increasing charges during the 4.5 year academic period, which requires regulatory oversight,” he says. 

Regulations governing fee structures exist to ensure uniformity, transparency, and fairness. “While most institutions comply, a few attempt to circumvent the system. The present notice is intended to deter such practices and uphold the integrity of medical education,” the NMC official adds.