Foreign Medical Graduates Launch Hunger Strike in Delhi Over Grace Marks as NBEMS Exam Dispute Deepens Protests by Foreign Medical Graduates have escalated following a low 12.38 percent pass rate in the June 2026 FMGE exam. Despite reform recommendations by an independent NBEMS panel, candidates have launched an indefinite hunger strike in Delhi over the denial of grace marks. The widespread dissatisfaction sparked by the release of the June 2026 Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, widely recognized as FMGE, has taken a dramatic turn as affected candidates return to the streets of Delhi in intense protest. Indian medical graduates who obtained their qualifications from medical institutions abroad are expressing acute disappointment over the examination results. Out of 37,448 candidates who registered and sat for the exam, a strikingly low 12.38 percent managed to qualify. Protesters attribute this historic low pass rate to an unusually high difficulty level in the question paper, the unannounced incorporation of video-based questions, infrastructure shortcomings at multiple exam venues, and an overarching deficit of transparency in evaluation standards. To address the swelling grievances, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences, or NBEMS, appointed a three-member independent panel to probe the matter. While the panel put forward several major structural reforms for future administrations of the exam, it firmly rejected any provision of grace marks or compensatory relief for the candidates of the June 2026 session. Disillusioned by this outcome, protesting candidates have escalated their agitation by entering an indefinite hunger strike in the nation's capital. June 2026 FMGE Results and Candidate Grievances Clearing the FMGE represents a mandatory statutory prerequisite for Indian nationals who acquire medical degrees from foreign universities and aspire to practice medicine in India. Administered by NBEMS, passing this rigorous screening exam is the single pathway that permits foreign graduates to register for compulsory medical internships or independent clinical practice across the country. In the June 2026 edition of the exam, a total of 37,448 candidates participated, but official results revealed that merely 12.38 percent successfully passed. This sharp decline in qualification rates shocked the medical community and triggered widespread unrest among aspiring doctors. Immediately following the publication of the results, candidates voiced critical objections regarding both the question design and the overall conduct of the examination. Protesters asserted that the exam paper departed drastically from established difficulty norms. Additionally, video-based interactive questions were included without prior notification, practice modules, or sample guides, catching candidates completely off guard. Protesters further detailed operational obstacles at test centers, such as technical glitches, prolonged delays during mandatory biometric verification, and inadequate administrative support, arguing that these cumulative disruptions severely impaired their performance and undermined test fairness. From July 10 Results to the August 3 Jantar Mantar Rally The escalating protest is not an impromptu movement; rather, it has gathered momentum through weeks of systematic mobilization. The formal release of the June 2026 FMGE results on 10 July 2026 marked the initial catalyst for student frustration. Throughout the month of July, affected graduates held regional demonstrations and submitted representations to medical authorities. As institutional silence persisted, candidate organizations shifted the epicenter of their protest to Delhi. On 3 August, a major demonstration unfolded at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, organized jointly by key candidate groups, including the All India Medical Students Association – Foreign Medical Students Wing (AIMSA-FMSW) and the All FMG Association (AFA). Facing intense public pressure from hundreds of gathered medical graduates, administrative officials invited a delegation of candidate representatives for formal discussions with NBEMS leadership. During these deliberations, student delegates articulated their primary grievances directly to the board. NBEMS Independent Committee and Its Recommendations In response to the 3 August rally and subsequent discussions, NBEMS announced the formation of a three-member independent expert committee to review the grievances surrounding the June 2026 FMGE. The committee was tasked with investigating the examination process, paper difficulty, and overall evaluation results. Relying on this institutional initiative, candidate organizations temporarily halted their active street demonstrations, anticipating that the panel's review would yield a balanced resolution. Initial meetings led candidate representatives to believe that board officials were genuinely evaluating their concerns regarding answer keys, paper difficulty, video questions, and exam fee structures. Following its detailed assessment, the expert panel submitted several significant reform proposals aimed at improving future examinations. The panel recommended increasing the proportion of lower-difficulty questions to achieve a more balanced evaluation framework. Furthermore, it advised that any future inclusion of video or multimedia questions must be accompanied by prior advance notification to candidates. To eliminate delays during test administration, the committee recommended providing candidates with a three-minute additional time buffer for biometric procedures. Most notably, the panel explicitly recommended that video-based questions be omitted from the FMGE for at least one full year. However, despite these sweeping reform proposals, the committee declined to recommend grace marks or compensatory relief for the June 2026 batch, stating that available evidence did not establish a conclusive impact on overall pass rates and citing strict statutory pass criteria. Rejection of Grace Marks and Escalation to Hunger Strike The committee's explicit refusal to provide grace marks or compensatory adjustments for June 2026 candidates has triggered a severe deadlock. Protesting candidates contend that if the expert panel found enough systemic deficiencies to warrant major policy modifications for future tests, then the candidates of the June 2026 batch were undeniably impacted by those same deficiencies. Dr. Ashish Kumar, a core member of the candidate action committee, stated that if examination flaws necessitated reforms for future candidates, the June 2026 cohort must also be granted proportional relief. He emphasized that candidates are not asking for unearned passing certificates, but rather a fair, one-time concession to rectify systemic imbalances. The conflict was further intensified by an unfulfilled assurance given during a subsequent meeting between NBEMS representatives and candidate delegates. According to student representatives, board officials requested a 24-hour window to seek clearance to display the actual exam question paper to a five-member candidate delegation, specifically to inspect the nature and count of the controversial video questions. However, when the 24-hour period elapsed without permission being granted or progress made on grace marks, candidate frustration reached a breaking point. Consequently, protesting doctors launched an indefinite hunger strike in Delhi. Dr. Jaswant Singh Yadav, a key candidate representative currently participating in the hunger strike, reiterated that the peaceful protest will continue unabated until NBEMS delivers concrete justice and grace marks to the affected June 2026 candidates. What this means for you • Across India: Nationwide policy debates regarding exam transparency, evaluation standards, and licensing procedures for foreign medical graduates will intensify. • In Delhi: Ongoing demonstrations and hunger strikes by medical graduates at Jantar Mantar will lead to heightened security and administrative activity in the capital. Questions & Answers 1. What was the pass percentage in the June 2026 FMGE exam? Out of 37,448 candidates who appeared for the June 2026 FMGE examination, only 12.38 percent successfully qualified. 2. Why are Foreign Medical Graduates on a hunger strike in Delhi? Candidates launched a hunger strike after the expert panel rejected their demand for grace marks or compensatory relief despite acknowledging exam anomalies. 3. What key reforms were recommended by the NBEMS independent panel? The committee recommended balancing question difficulty, pausing video-based questions for one year, providing advance notice for multimedia questions, and granting 3 extra minutes for biometrics. 4. Did the expert committee recommend grace marks for the June 2026 batch? No, the committee declined to recommend grace marks or compensation, citing statutory passing criteria and insufficient evidence of a decisive impact on overall results. 5. What is the FMGE exam and why is it mandatory for foreign medical graduates? FMGE is a mandatory screening test for Indian citizens holding foreign medical degrees, required before they can legally practice medicine or begin internships in India. https://trendkia.com/en/exam/gresa-marksa-ki-manga-ko-lekara-delhi-men-videshi-medikala-grejuetsa-ki-bhukha-haratala-se-nbems-ki-pariksha-vyavastha-para-barha--22203 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.