Now Reading: FMGE stir enters Day 6, panel proposes easing question mix
-
01
FMGE stir enters Day 6, panel proposes easing question mix
The protest by foreign medical graduates (FMGs) over the June Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) entered its sixth day in Delhi on Tuesday, with some candidates on hunger strike. Over 36,000 candidates…
The protest by foreign medical graduates (FMGs) over the June Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) entered its sixth day in Delhi on Tuesday, with some candidates on hunger strike. Over 36,000 candidates appeared in the June exam. An expert committee set up by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) has proposed several changes, including increasing the proportion of low-difficulty questions from 20% to 30%, aiming for a mix of 30% low, 50% moderate and 20% difficult questions.
The panel has also recommended holding the FMGE at least thrice a year and reviewing the fee of Rs 6,195 for repeat candidates. NBEMS has indicated a third FMGE could be held this year before November 14. However, the committee has not recommended compensatory marks for the June exam, which remains the key demand of the protesters. NBEMS said it will implement the recommendations while preserving the exam's integrity.
Indian Opinion Analysis
India has some of the world's strictest licencing rules for doctors trained abroad: foreign medical graduates must clear the FMGE, a qualifying exam that is distinct from the domestic NEET-PG pathway. The panel's recommendation for 30% easy questions and a cap on the median difficulty level would be a structural shift from the current approach, which had produced a pass percentage below the historical average for the June sitting, inflaming the protest. The demand that matters most to the hunger-striking candidates, compensatory marks or a grace score for the June exam, has been firmly rejected by the expert panel. NBEMS is the sole body that can approve a third FMGE session this year, and its next formal board meeting, likely before mid-September, will decide whether the November sitting is confirmed.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
