India disqualifies Pakistan medical degrees for licensing exams, healthcare roles.

The Indian government has reaffirmed its restriction on recognizing medical degrees from Pakistan for Indian nationals and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), unless specific exemptions are met. As stated by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel in a recent Lok Sabha response, this policy originally outlined by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on April 28, 2022 prohibits Indian citizens and OCIs who enrolled in medical programs in Pakistan after December 2018 from appearing in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) or the National Exit Test (NEXT), and from seeking medical employment in India. However, the restriction does not apply to students who enrolled before December 2018 or those who obtained prior security clearance from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) before admission.

Additionally, the policy includes special provisions for migrants and their children who completed medical degrees in Pakistan and later obtained Indian citizenship. These individuals may still be eligible to take licensing exams and pursue medical careers in India, provided they obtain MHA clearance. The government’s approach reflects a balance between safeguarding national standards and accommodating legitimate legacy cases. The clarification highlights India’s ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity of foreign medical qualifications, particularly from countries with regulatory or geopolitical sensitivities. The announcement does not introduce new restrictions but reiterates the need for compliance among prospective medical students planning education abroad.