Moscow, April 4 India has advised its students to verify the credentials of Uzbek universities before enrolling in medical programs in the Central Asian country, highlighting concerns about potential violations of FMGL regulations.
The Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate (FMGL) Regulations are issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) of India and apply to students who have studied medicine abroad.
Urging the students not to fall prey to any person or agent misleading them, the Indian Embassy in Tashkent also asked them to ensure that the institutions in Uzbekistan are not admitting students beyond their capacity.
The Indian mission issued an advisory for students on Friday due to multiple complaints regarding admissions to medical colleges in Uzbekistan.
According to the Indian Embassy, the size of the Indian community in Uzbekistan is estimated to be 21,000, including 16,300 students studying at various universities across the country.
As India and Uzbekistan's bilateral ties continue to strengthen, there has been a significant increase in the number of Indian students choosing Uzbekistan for medical education, the advisory said, adding that with this growth, there has been the emergence of many new universities in the Central Asian country.
"The Embassy urges you to fully satisfy yourself about the credentials of the university in which you seek admission, and also that universities are not admitting students beyond their capacity," the advisory said.
It further asked the students to also ensure that their degree is valid for practice in India, for which their university (in Uzbekistan) must strictly adhere to the FMGL Regulations issued by India's National Medical Commission.
"Do not fall prey to any person or agent misguiding you on this issue. Please stay vigilant and contact the Embassy in case of doubt," it said.
The advisory issued an eight-point checklist of conditions for a student to be eligible for licensure in India.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan has confirmed that all those who obtain medical degrees in Uzbekistan are permitted to practice in the land in accordance with the domestic legislation," it said.
The advisory said the mission has received several complaints from students regarding their Education Consultants (ECs) and said it has asked all ECs to provide their full and transparent information.
"If you are seeking admission through ECs, you must also separately verify these details from them. Also, ask your EC if they have submitted the above details to the Embassy," the advisory said.
Among the many issues related to various institutions and universities in Uzbekistan, the embassy also mentioned that the officials would visit a branch of the Tashkent State Medical University, where "students have themselves complained and expressed grave concerns over violation of FMGL regulations by the university."
The advisory also offered psychological counselling sessions for students and said it will soon be launching a Telegram Channel dedicated only to students.