Avoid MBBS in Uzbekistan, NMC warns Indian students

The National Medical Commission has warned Indian students against enrolling in certain medical universities in Uzbekistan, citing declining academic standards, alleged malpractices and violations of regulatory norms that could render graduates ineligible to practise medicine in India.

Hyderabad: The National Medical Commission has issued a high-priority advisory cautioning Indian students against fraudulent practices and sub-standard medical education in Uzbekistan. The move follows serious concerns flagged by the Embassy of India in Tashkent regarding declining standards and malpractices by recruitment agents.

The NMC specifically named several prominent institutions, including Bukhara State Medical Institute (BSMI), Samarkand State Medical University (SSMU), and Tashkent State Medical University (TSMU).

---

According to the advisory, these institutes are reportedly admitting students well beyond their physical intake capacity, severely compromising the quality of training.

The Indian Embassy in Tashkent reported that while these courses are marketed as English-medium, the lack of actual English proficiency among staff has left Indian students unable to receive essential hands-on clinical training.

In a notice, the NMC also red-flagged TIT Institute of Medical Sciences in Bengaluru, which has been operating as an offshore campus for the TSMU Termez Branch (Uzbekistan). According to NMC, such a model is in violation of Indian regulatory norms.

The NMC reiterated that any student failing to adhere to the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021, will be rendered ineligible to practice medicine in India.

The eligibility includes a minimum course duration of 54 months at a single foreign institution, a 12-month internship completed at the same university and clinical training conducted entirely within the awarding country, not in parts or across borders.

The Commission urged parents and aspirants to verify the recognition status of foreign universities directly with the NMC or Indian diplomatic missions before making any financial commitments.