Pakistani medical degrees leave Kashmir graduates without practice rights in India

August 21, 2025

Hundreds of Kashmiri medical students who obtained their degrees from Pakistani institutions are caught in bureaucratic limbo, unable to practice medicine in India despite completing their education. In April 2022, India's National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a notice barring Indian students enrolled in Pakistani medical colleges from taking the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) or seeking employment in India, with exceptions for those who joined before December 2018 or received security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Many graduates, including those who completed their studies before the 2018 cutoff, are still awaiting eligibility certificates, forcing them to work unofficially as observers in private hospitals rather than as recognized doctors.

Who is affected

Medical students from Kashmir who pursued medical degrees in Pakistan, including Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan
Approximately 256 students (including 155 women) who studied medicine in Pakistan between 2014-2018
Around 700 Kashmiri students who were pursuing MBBS degrees in Pakistan during COVID-19
Approximately 100 new students who used to travel to Pakistan annually for medical education
Families and communities in Kashmir relying on these medical professionals to fill healthcare positions

What action is being taken

The National Medical Commission is withholding eligibility certificates from Kashmiri graduates of Pakistani medical institutions
Ministry of Home Affairs officials are conducting security verifications and home visits to question students about their studies in Pakistan
Students are being summoned to police stations to record statements for verification purposes
Pakistani medical authorities are granting "permanent/full licenses" to medical and dental graduates from Jammu and Kashmir for three years
Jammu and Kashmir Parliamentary member Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi is raising the issue of recognition of Pakistan's medical degrees in Parliament

Why it matters

These students invested significant time and money (around INR 20 lakhs/USD 22,860) in their medical education
The inability to practice medicine wastes years of training and educational investment
The restrictions create economic hardship for graduates who cannot officially work as doctors
Students face social stigma and ostracism for having studied in Pakistan
The situation could alter healthcare workforce demographics in Kashmir, as positions may be filled by non-Kashmiris
The restrictions impact Kashmir's healthcare system by preventing qualified professionals from practicing

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices