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Amaravati, July 15, 2025 — In a significant development for foreign medical graduates (FMGs) in Andhra Pradesh, the state’s High Court has directed the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) to issue a permanent registration certificate to an FMG petitioner, provided his credentials are verified as genuine. This order comes after months of contention over the interpretation and application of National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines regarding the eligibility of FMGs for permanent registration.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Ravi Cheemalapati, ruled that the onus lies with APMC to verify the authenticity of the applicant’s compensatory certificates and academic documents. The court emphasized that if the documents—specifically, confirmation and verification letters from the FMG’s parent university—are found valid through the Indian Embassy, and the FMG meets the criteria set by the NMC’s notice dated June 19, 2024, the council must issue the permanent registration without further delay.
The case centers on FMGs who completed their medical education abroad, cleared the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), and underwent a one-year internship in India. APMC had previously refused to grant permanent registration, arguing that the FMGs had not sufficiently compensated for online classes taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, as required by evolving NMC guidelines. The council maintained that additional internship was necessary for those who had significant portions of their education online, citing concerns about the equivalence of online and offline training.
However, the High Court found that the petitioner had provided adequate documentation, including confirmation from his university and verification via the Indian Embassy, demonstrating that he had compensated for missed practical training with additional in-person classes. The court held that unless APMC could disprove the authenticity of these documents, the FMG was eligible for permanent registration after completing the mandated one-year internship, in line with the latest NMC regulations.
The court has given APMC one month to complete the verification process. If the council fails to do so within this period, it must issue the permanent registration certificate after fulfilling any remaining formalities.
This decision follows widespread protests and hunger strikes by FMGs in Andhra Pradesh, who alleged that the council was unjustly delaying their entry into the medical workforce despite their compliance with national guidelines. The Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) had also voiced support for the FMGs, urging swift resolution of the issue.
“The confirmation letter dated 08.09.2022 and the verification letter dated 25.12.2024 make the things clear that the appellant had compensated all the practical studies which he missed during the pandemic period. If that was so, as per public notice dated 19.06.2024, the petitioner is eligible for one year mandatory internship as specified in the CRMI Regulations, 2021,” the High Court observed.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on information available as of July 15, 2025, and summarizes recent judicial decisions and regulatory guidelines. It does not constitute legal advice or an official interpretation of court orders or NMC regulations. For the most current and case-specific guidance, readers should consult official documents or seek professional counsel.
