Key Points:
2,300+ CPS doctors protested at Azad Maidan, Mumbai on March 5, 2026 over delayed exams.
Final CPS exams pending since November 2024, leaving doctors without specialist certification.
NMC derecognised CPS courses in August 2024, triggering the crisis.
Bombay High Court upheld the decision in 2025.
Supreme Court allowed 852 students two final exam attempts.
Three CPS batches remain affected, doctors warn protests may intensify.
More than 2,300 postgraduate doctors trained under the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai, staged a protest at Azad Maidan on March 5, 2026, demanding that authorities conduct their long pending specialist examinations.
The protesting doctors said their final postgraduate examinations have not been held for over a year, leaving them unable to obtain specialist qualifications despite completing their academic training and hospital postings.
The affected doctors had enrolled in CPS postgraduate diploma programmes and completed their two year training and hospital rotations. However, the final examinations have not been conducted, leaving several batches of students unable to receive their specialist certification.
Many candidates said the examinations were expected to take place in November 2024, but they were never conducted. As a result, multiple batches of CPS trainees remain in uncertainty regarding their professional future.
On March 5, 2026, hundreds of these doctors gathered at Azad Maidan in Mumbai and held a peaceful protest urging the state government and the medical education department to resolve the issue and schedule the delayed examinations.
The crisis began after regulatory action against CPS courses.
In August 2024, the Postgraduate Medical Education Board (PGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) derecognized all courses run by CPS, citing non compliance with provisions of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
Authorities stated that CPS had been functioning similarly to the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS). However, regulators noted that NBEMS is a government organization authorized to grant recognized medical qualifications, while CPS is a non government body that does not have the authority to recognize courses or award medical degrees.
Following this decision, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) halted further CPS examinations.
The legal dispute escalated when the Bombay High Court in 2025 dismissed a plea filed by CPS challenging the derecognition of its postgraduate diploma courses.
The court also allowed a Public Interest Litigation filed by Mumbai based doctor Dr. Suhas Pingle, which challenged the approval granted to CPS to run 10 additional postgraduate courses.
In its ruling, the High Court observed that the decisions taken by the PGMEB during meetings held in July and August 2024 were consistent with the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER 2023) and were intended to maintain high standards in medical education.
The court also noted that CPS could restart its programmes if it complied with the requirements laid down under the NMC Act, 2019.
The issue later reached the Supreme Court of India in 2025, where the Attorney General for India informed the court that authorities would work toward a solution to safeguard the interests of affected students.
On September 12, the Supreme Court requested the Attorney General to intervene and explore a possible resolution.
Subsequently, the Central Government allowed 852 CPS students two final opportunities to clear their examinations. After successfully passing the exams, these candidates would be eligible for registration with state and national medical councils.
Despite this relief for some students, many doctors say thousands remain affected by the uncertainty.
In a interview with Medical Dialogues, Dr. Dharti Patel, one of the affected postgraduate trainees, said the delay has left several batches of doctors waiting indefinitely for their qualifications.
She explained that students who had taken admission through NEET PG during the 2021 to 2022 academic session were allowed to continue their programmes after the derecognition issue emerged. However, even after completing their training, many have still not been able to appear for their final examinations.
According to her, three batches of students are currently affected, and the matter remains pending before the Supreme Court.
The Association of CPS doctors warned that the situation could worsen the shortage of specialist doctors in India.
In a statement, the association said it is deeply concerning that thousands of trained doctors remain stuck due to administrative and regulatory delays, despite the country already facing a shortage of specialists.
The group also said that if authorities fail to resolve the issue soon, doctors may intensify protests and raise the matter on larger platforms through demonstrations and public engagement.
(Rh/ARC)