Raipur: A major medical credential fraud has surfaced in Chhattisgarh, where over 3,000 doctors are currently under investigation for allegedly using fake Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) certificates to practice medicine in India.
The Chhattisgarh Medical Council (CMC), in coordination with the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the state Directorate of Medical Education (DME), has initiated a large-scale verification exercise on March 30 targeting foreign medical graduates across the state.
The probe began after officials noticed serious gaps in clinical competence among some foreign medical graduates during their internships in government hospitals.
According to officials, several interns:
Demonstrated poor understanding of basic medical subjects
Failed to identify commonly used surgical instruments
These alarming observations raised red flags, prompting authorities to scrutinize their academic credentials and FMGE qualification status.
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is a mandatory licensing exam conducted by the National Board of Examinations. It is required for Indian students who complete their MBBS abroad and wish to practice in India.
Without clearing FMGE:
Doctors cannot register with a state medical council
They are ineligible for internships or clinical practice
Despite this, the ongoing investigation suggests that many candidates bypassed this requirement using forged certificates.
Just a few days before the Chhattisgarh revelations, a similar fake FMGE certificate racket was uncovered in Rajasthan, highlighting a growing national pattern.
On March 25–26, 2026, the Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group arrested 18 individuals, including former Rajasthan Medical Council registrar Dr. Rajesh Sharma and former nodal officer Akhilesh Mathur, for allegedly enabling unqualified foreign medical graduates to secure registrations using forged FMGE certificates.
Investigators found that candidates who had not cleared the mandatory screening exam were still able to obtain provisional registration and internships in hospitals, often after paying ₹20 lakh to ₹25 lakh to access the network. Authorities have already identified over 90 suspected cases, pointing to an organized system involving officials, middlemen, and candidates that bypassed regulatory checks and allowed unqualified individuals to enter clinical practice.
The Chhattisgarh Medical Council has confirmed:
A comprehensive audit is ongoing
Doctors found using fake certificates will face:
Immediate de-registration
Criminal prosecution
Authorities are now working to identify:
The extent of institutional involvement
The number of patients treated by unqualified practitioners
The Rajasthan case has strengthened suspicions that such networks may be operating across multiple states.
(Rh/ARC)