Srinagar, Apr 3: MBBS aspirants beware: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has alerted students and parents planning to pursue undergraduate medical (MBBS-equivalent) courses abroad to check the credentials of the colleges they select.

The warning comes particularly for colleges in Uzbekistan, many colleges in which, according to the commission, fail to meet the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations, 2021. The parents and students in Kashmir have been warned to avoid unverified agents or intermediaries offering “guaranteed” admissions outside the NEET process.

It warned that they must also ensure that they do not pay any fees without confirming the institution’s status.

The commission said that it was important to consult the NMC website or Indian diplomatic missions for the latest updates. It said that the risk of pursuing MBBS from colleges not meeting NMC criteria was grave and such medical graduates might get disqualified from registration and practice in India.

The NMC advisory issued on April 1, 2026, references earlier public notices of August 8, 2023, and November 22, 2024, an advisory of May 19, 2025, and an alert of July 21, 2025.

These notices issued by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the NMC, have spelt out the concerns about private medical colleges abroad that do not fail in meeting the Indian standards on curriculum, training, and duration. The latest alert has flagged institutions in Uzbekistan like Bukhara State Medical Institute (BSMI), Samarkand State Medical University (SSMU), Tashkent State Medical University (TSMU), and TIT Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangalore.

TIT is satellite campus of TSMU Termez Branch. The notice has been issued after Indian Embassy in Tashkent flagged that the admissions in these institutes exceeded the approved intake capacity.

In addition, there was inadequate hands-on clinical training, and also the medium of instruction was not English. There have also been complaints of malpractice by agents and private contractors facilitating admissions.

The NMC has clearly said, “It has come to the notice of the commission that several Indian students continue to seek admission in private medical colleges abroad that do not comply with the prescribed regulations. Such institutions often follow curricula, timelines, and training standards that are not aligned with those mandated in India.”

Any deviation “may result in disqualification from obtaining registration in India,” it said.

Anantnag, Apr 3: Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag has received a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, bringing major relief to patients in south Kashmir and parts of the Chenab Valley.

The facility was inaugurated on Friday by Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo and is expected to become operational soon.

“Our government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, is committed to improving health care in Jammu and Kashmir,” Itoo said. “In the past 18 months, we have ensured that Mirza Memorial Beg hospital (MAMB) – GMC Anantnag gets key facilities, including a Cath lab, patient meals and a Sarai.”

She described the MRI facility as a major milestone and a long-pending addition that will significantly improve diagnostic services at the hospital.

“The facility will benefit patients across South Kashmir by providing timely and advanced diagnostic services locally, reducing the need for referrals to Srinagar hospitals,” she said.

Itoo also dedicated three modular operation theatres and a vitrectomy machine for the ophthalmology department.

The event was attended by several legislators, including Abdul Majeed Larmi, Peerzada Feroze Ahmad Shah, Justice Hasnain Masoodi, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Mir and Showkat Hussain Ganie.

Also, present were GMC Anantnag Principal Dr Rukhsana Najeeb, Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Jehangir Bakshi and other senior officials.

Najeeb congratulated residents of South Kashmir and the Chenab region on the addition of advanced medical facilities.

“I am thankful to the government for supporting GMC Anantnag at every step to meet the expectations of people in south Kashmir, the Chenab Valley and the Pir Panjal region,” she said.

Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. sanctioned the MRI machine under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative last April, and Greater Kashmir was the first to report it.

The approval followed a request from then Anantnag Deputy Commissioner (DC) Syed Fakhrudin Hamid to the company’s general manager. Power Grid later signed a memorandum of understanding with HLL Lifecare Ltd. for the supply and installation of the machine.

The project cost of the State-of-the-Art facility is Rs 19.70 crore.

Earlier correspondence indicated that GMC Anantnag had submitted Government e-Marketplace (GeM) quotations of about Rs 18 crore for a 1.5 Tesla MRI machine, considered a viable alternative if a 3.0 Tesla system proved too costly.

Patients in south Kashmir have long struggled due to the absence of MRI facilities in the region, often traveling to private diagnostic centres in Srinagar where scans cost between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000.

Facilities at GMC Srinagar, its associated hospitals and SKIMS Soura have remained difficult to access due to heavy patient load.

Established in 2019, GMC Anantnag serves hundreds of patients daily. Officials said several patients were referred weekly to tertiary care hospitals in Srinagar for MRI scans.

“These referrals not only overburden hospitals in Srinagar but also increase treatment costs for patients,” an official said.

With the MRI facility expected to be operational soon, patients are likely to benefit from improved access to diagnostic services, reducing both travel and financial strain.