Civil Society Forum Kashmir (CSFK) strongly urges the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, the Health Minister, and the Secretary, Health & Medical Education Department to take immediate steps towards establishing a Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) centre in the Kashmir Valley.
FMGE is a critical screening test conducted by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) for Indian students who have completed their medical education abroad. Currently, there is no FMGE centre in Srinagar or anywhere in the Kashmir Valley, despite the fact that most Indian states have multiple centres to cater to local candidates.
A Kashmir Valley’s Disadvantage
Due to the absence of a centre in Kashmir, aspiring doctors must travel long distances to other states like Delhi, Punjab, or even down south. This results in:
Financial strain, Travel and accommodation challenges, Safety and weather-related concerns and Mental stress before such an important exam
Number of FMGE Centres in Other Indian States (June 2025 Session):
State FMGE Centre Cities Total Centres
Tamil Nadu: Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, : 6 Vellore, etc
Kerala :Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Thrissur, :6
Gujarat :Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, : 5
Karnataka: Bengaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, :4 Udupi
Andhra Pradesh: Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati,: 4 Visakhapatnam.
Maharashtra: Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur: 4
Rajasthan: Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Ajmer: 4
Uttar Pradesh: Lucknow, Agra, Meerut: 3
Punjab: Patiala, Bathinda: 2
Haryana : Ambala : 1
Himachal Pradesh : Hamirpur: 1
Bihar: Patna: 1
Jharkhand: Hazaribagh: 1
Odisha: Bhubaneswar: 1
West Bengal: Kolkata: 1
Jammu & Kashmir: Jammu (No Centre in Kashmir Valley): 1 (outside valley)
Other North Eastern States: Guwahati, Shillong, Imphal, Aizawl, etc. : 1 (each )
Kashmir remains the only major region in India with a large FMG population but without a local exam centre.
We, the members of Civil Society Kashmir Forum, respectfully request the administration to establish an FMGE examination centre in Srinagar or any other suitable city within the Valley.
This will ensure; Equal opportunities for Kashmiri aspirants, Support for medical professionals returning from abroad, and Strengthening of the local healthcare ecosystem
