Srinagar, July 26(KNS): Medical students from Kashmir who obtained their degrees from foreign universities will have to travel outside the Union Territory to appear for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), also known as the Screening Test, as there are no designated exam centres in Jammu and Kashmir.

The exam is conducted by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) and is mandatory for Indian citizens with foreign medical degrees to obtain a license to practice medicine in India.

The absence of exam centres in Kashmir has triggered concern among students and their families, who have appealed to the government to set up exam centres in Srinagar to avoid logistical and financial burdens.

Several students said they are facing difficulties in arranging travel and accommodation in other states such as Punjab and Delhi, especially during the current academic and weather conditions.

Ruqaya Bano, a medical graduate, said, “I have to travel all the way to Chandigarh to write the exam.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelIt is not just costly, but also exhausting, especially when we have been preparing for months.”

Sameer Ahmad, another student who studied in Kazakhstan, said, “We don’t understand why there are no centres in Kashmir. It feels like we are being ignored.”

Parents also expressed their concern over the lack of local exam facilities. “Our children already go through so much stress preparing for this exam. Travelling far from home adds to their pressure,” Aijaz Dar, father of a medical graduate told KNS.

Shaista Jan, whose daughter studied in Uzbekistan, said, “Not every family can afford to send their children to other states and manage everything on their own.”

Responding to the issue, a senior official in the Health and Medical Education Department told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that the concerns of the students and their families have been received. The matter will be taken into consideration very soon.”(KNS).