NBEMS Panel Proposes FMGE Changes as Delhi Protests Enter Sixth Day
The protest by foreign medical graduates in New Delhi over the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination held this June entered its sixth day on Tuesday, with candidates continuing their agitation across the capital demanding relief for examinees.
The ongoing demonstration coincided with recommendations submitted by an expert committee formed by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences. The panel has proposed a series of structural modifications to the medical examination system to address concerns raised by the test-takers.
More than 36,000 candidates appeared for the June examination. A section of the protesting students has launched an indefinite hunger strike as part of the agitation in Delhi. Among those fasting is Dr Jaswant Singh Yadav, a representative of the foreign medical graduates, who has been on a hunger strike since August 20 to press for examinee relief.
Addressing examination standards, the expert committee recommended adjusting the question pattern by raising the proportion of low-difficulty questions from 20 percent to 30 percent. The proposed framework suggests an overall mix consisting of 30 percent low-difficulty, 50 percent moderate-difficulty, and 20 percent high-difficulty questions.
The panel also proposed that the overall mean difficulty level of the test should not exceed 5.5, while the median difficulty score should be capped at 5 on a scale ranging from 1 to 10. Under this formula, 151 out of the total 300 questions in the paper would fall at a difficulty rating of 5 or below.
In addition to paper structuring, the committee advised assessing the feasibility of conducting the FMGE at least three times a year rather than twice. It also called for a review of the existing examination fee of Rs 6,195, placing particular emphasis on easing the financial burden for candidates who require multiple attempts to clear the test.
Separately, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences has indicated that a third FMGE session could potentially be scheduled this year before November 14. Officials are currently assessing the availability of test centres to determine whether the additional session can be organized within that timeframe.
