Education Journalist | Study Abroad Strategy Lead | Updated On - Apr 5, 2026
Indian students enrolled in four specific Uzbekistan medical universities now risk being permanently barred from practicing medicine in India, following a formal alert issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on April 1, 2026. The advisory — the fifth such warning since 2023 — names Bukhara State Medical Institute, Samarkand State Medical University, Tashkent State Medical University, and a Bangalore-based offshore campus of TSMU Termez Branch as non-compliant with India's Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations 2021.
With over 10,000 Indian students currently enrolled in Uzbekistan for MBBS, and thousands more in the middle of 2026–27 admission decisions, the stakes could not be higher.
The 4 Universities NMC Has Named
The NMC's Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) has specifically flagged the following institutions in its April 1, 2026 Alert Note:
| University | Location | Key Concern Flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Bukhara State Medical Institute (BSMI) | Bukhara, Uzbekistan | Over-admission beyond intake capacity; students enrolled via unverified agent "RARE Company" |
| Samarkand State Medical University (SSMU) | Samarkand, Uzbekistan | Non-compliance with FMGL Regulations 2021; inadequate clinical training |
| Tashkent State Medical University (TSMU) | Tashkent, Uzbekistan | Curriculum and training standards not aligned with NMC mandates |
| TIT Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore | Bangalore, India | Offshore campus of TSMU Termez Branch — operating in India in violation of regulatory norms |
The Bangalore-based TIT Institute is particularly significant: it is operating on Indian soil as an offshore campus of a foreign university, a model the NMC has explicitly flagged as a regulatory violation. Students enrolled there are not studying at a recognised foreign institution — they are studying in India under a foreign university's name, which does not satisfy FMGL requirements.
What FMGL 2021 Requires — and Where These Universities Fall Short
India's FMGL Regulations 2021 set the minimum standards a foreign medical degree must meet for its holder to be eligible to sit the NExT examination and register to practice medicine in India. The NMC's advisory confirms that the four flagged universities are failing on multiple counts:
Mandatory FMGL requirements (all must be met):
- 54 months of medical education completed at a single institution
- 12-month internship completed at the same foreign university — not in India or a third country
- English as the medium of instruction throughout
- Clinical training must not be split across different countries or campuses
- Mandatory subjects as per Schedule-I of FMGL 2021 must be covered
- University must be registered with its country's professional regulatory body
What the NMC found at these institutions:
- Students admitted beyond the intake capacity of the institute, compromising education quality
- Medium of instruction is not English, making it impossible for Indian students to follow clinical training
- Hands-on clinical training is absent due to language barriers and infrastructure gaps
- TSMU Termez Branch is running an offshore campus in Bangalore — a model that violates the single-institution requirement
Any one of these failures is sufficient to render a student ineligible for medical registration in India upon graduation.
Other Study Abroad News:
- UK Universities Now Offer Tuition Discounts, Not Full Scholarships — Indian Students Must Recalculate Before April 30
- Japan Opens 1,000 Funded Research Fellowships for Indian Students — Deadline June 9
- Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings 2026 Launched, Check Top Universities for Indian Students
Why This Warning Keeps Being Ignored — and Why It Matters Now
This is not the NMC's first warning. The Commission has issued four previous advisories on the same subject: August 2023, November 2024, May 2025, and July 2025. The fact that a fifth alert was necessary in April 2026 signals that students — and the agents advising them — continue to enrol in non-compliant institutions despite the warnings.
The reasons are not hard to understand. MBBS seats in India are scarce: with only 1,06,333 government and private seats available nationally and over 20 lakh students appearing for NEET each year, the competition is brutal. Uzbekistan has emerged as an affordable alternative — fees typically range from ₹20–35 lakh for the full course, compared to ₹50–80 lakh or more at private Indian medical colleges. India is now the largest source of foreign students in Uzbekistan, with over 10,000 enrolled and 2,780 new enrolments recorded in just the first half of 2025.
The problem is that the affordability and accessibility of Uzbekistan's medical programmes have attracted not just legitimate universities but also institutions and agents willing to cut corners — and students who do not verify compliance before paying fees.
The consequence is severe: a student who spends 6 years and ₹25–35 lakh on an MBBS in Uzbekistan, only to find their degree does not qualify them to sit the NExT exam, has no recourse. The NMC has been explicit: failure to meet FMGL requirements results in ineligibility for registration to practice medicine in India.
What Students and Parents Must Do Before Enrolling
The NMC's advisory is clear on the steps every student must take. Here is the actionable checklist:
Before paying any fees or signing any agreement:
- Verify NMC recognition status. Check whether the university appears on the NMC's list of recognised foreign medical institutions at nmc.org.in. Recognition status can change — check at the time of admission, not just when you first researched the university.
- Confirm FMGL compliance directly. Ask the university for written confirmation that: (a) the full 54-month programme is delivered at a single campus; (b) the 12-month internship is completed at the same university; (c) the medium of instruction is English throughout.
- Do not use unverified agents. The NMC has specifically named "RARE Company" as an unverified agent facilitating admissions to BSMI. The Embassy of India in Tashkent has flagged multiple agents operating without authorisation. Verify any consultant's credentials before engaging them.
- Contact the Embassy of India in Tashkent. The Embassy has been actively monitoring the situation and can provide updated guidance on which institutions are under scrutiny. Email: cons.tashkent@mea.gov.in
- If already enrolled at a flagged university, contact the NMC immediately to understand your options. Do not wait until graduation to discover your degree is non-compliant.
- Report suspicious activity. Any institution or agent offering guaranteed admission, NEET score waivers, or offshore study arrangements should be reported to the NMC.
The Bigger Picture: Uzbekistan's MBBS Boom and Its Risks
Uzbekistan's rise as an MBBS destination for Indian students has been rapid. Indian enrolment tripled between 2019 and 2023, driven by affordable fees, no language barrier at recognised universities, and a relatively straightforward admission process. The country now hosts more Indian students than any other foreign nation in its universities.
But rapid growth has outpaced regulatory oversight. The NMC's repeated advisories — five in under three years — reflect a systemic problem: a market of unverified agents, over-enrolled universities, and students making life-altering decisions without adequate due diligence. The April 1, 2026 alert is the most specific yet, naming institutions and agents by name and citing direct testimony from the Embassy of India in Tashkent.
For students who choose Uzbekistan carefully — verifying FMGL compliance, avoiding flagged institutions, and steering clear of unregistered agents — the destination remains a legitimate option. For those who do not, the risk is a degree that cannot be used in India.
Comments