India’s top medical education regulator, the National Medical Commission (NMC), has proposed a major policy shift that could affect thousands of Indian students pursuing medical education abroad, as per a report by Live Mint.

As per a draft notification, the NMC now plans to charge a $10,000 (approximately Rs 8.6 lakh) fee for each application seeking recognition of a foreign medical qualification in India.

NMC proposes $10,000 fee for recognising foreign medical degrees under the National Medical Commission (Recognition of Medical Qualification) Regulations.

“Any foreign authority… shall remit $10,000 per qualification as fees to the Commission while submitting its application in a proforma,” the NMC stated in its draft amendment.

Why this matters

Every year, around 25,000 Indian students travel abroad to pursue MBBS degrees, primarily to countries such as Russia, China, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan, largely due to the limited availability of seats and high competition in India.While India has around 1.1 lakh MBBS seats, nearly 2.5 million aspirants appear for the National Eligibility Entrance Test - Undergraduate (NEET-UG) annually, pushing many to seek opportunities overseas.

These graduates must have their degrees recognised by the NMC in order to practise medicine in India. The proposed fee introduces an added procedural and financial layer for foreign institutions aiming to maintain recognition in India.

Such fees are not unusual globally. Medical regulators in countries like the US, UK, and Canada also charge recognition fees for foreign qualifications. However, it remains to be seen how this move will impact partnerships between Indian agencies and foreign medical schools, and whether it might affect student mobility in the long run.

The draft notification is open for public feedback and may be revised before being finalised.