In India, medical degrees earned by graduates from Kashmir, Pakistan, are deemed invalid, thus impeding their ability to practice medicine.

In the heart of India, a group of medical graduates find themselves stuck in a bureaucratic limbo, unable to practice their hard-earned skills in their homeland. This predicament stems from a long-standing issue regarding the recognition of medical degrees earned in Pakistan.

The saga began in 2018, when the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) became mandatory for Indian students wishing to study MBBS abroad if they intended to practice in India. This rule was upheld by the Supreme Court in February 2025.

In 2022, the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a public notice advising Indian students against enrolling in medical colleges in Pakistan. As a result, hundreds of students from the Kashmir valley, including Haider and Asma, find themselves unable to practice medicine in India despite years of training and investment.

Haider, a medical graduate from Jinnah Sindh Medical University in 2024, has been closely following the developments since the NMC's public notice. He can only practice observership in Kashmir without the licence to practice. The restriction does not apply to those who joined Pakistani institutions before December 2018 or joined after obtaining security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) at any time up to the present.

Asma, a student from uptown Srinagar in Indian administered Kashmir, traveled to pursue her medical studies in Pakistan in late 2019. She is awaiting confirmation on the application she submitted in 2021 to the NMC for an eligibility certificate. This certificate, once granted, will allow her to sit for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), a license exam conducted by India's National Board of Examinations (NBE) for Indian citizens with foreign medical degrees to practice medicine in India.

The Indian government's stance on this issue was reiterated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in response to a Parliamentary question raised by Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi in 2024. The ministry confirmed that the public notice issued by the NMC in 2022 remains in force.

The issue of recognizing Pakistani medical degrees has been a growing concern, with some students reporting a growing taboo and othering within Indian society. Haider, for instance, has experienced this firsthand, stating that the tag of studying in Pakistan has been a source of societal pressure.

The situation has even reached international forums. In 2022, Qadri, a student affected by the issue, filed a complaint with the UN Working Group, citing the social exclusion of students who study in Pakistan.

The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir has also played a role in this issue. In 2019, the Indian government unilaterally abrogated Article 370 and 35A, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and downgraded it to a Union Territory. This move has had far-reaching implications, including the recognition of foreign degrees.

As the situation continues to unfold, these students remain hopeful, checking daily for updates on their eligibility certificates on the NMC's website. They cross their fingers, hoping for a day when they can return to Kashmir and practice medicine, contributing to the health and wellbeing of their community.

In India, medical degrees earned by graduates from Kashmir, Pakistan, are deemed invalid, thus impeding their ability to practice medicine.