In a significant ruling, the Delhi High Court has provided crucial relief to a medical aspirant by allowing a court order and an official affidavit to serve as a substitute for her physical NEET-UG 2019 scorecard. This decision enables the candidate to proceed with her application for the crucial Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE).
Court Directs NBEMS to Accept Legal Documents
The bench of Justice Sachin Datta issued the order, directing the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to treat its judicial order, coupled with an affidavit from the National Testing Agency (NTA), as the legitimate NEET-UG 2019 scorecard of the petitioner. The aspirant, identified as Suhana K N, an OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) candidate, had approached the court seeking urgent intervention.
Suhana was unable to produce her original physical scorecard while applying for the FMGE December 2025 session. She pleaded that the court-sanctioned documents be accepted in lieu of the physical certificate, not just for the upcoming session but for all future FMGE examinations as well.
Precedent and the NTA's Affidavit Pave the Way
The court's decision was influenced by two key factors. Firstly, the petitioner's counsel, Advocate Yatharth Rohila, pointed to similar relief granted by coordinate benches of the same court in December 2025 to other NEET-UG 2019 aspirants facing identical issues.
Secondly, and fundamentally, the NTA had filed a sworn affidavit dated December 26, 2025, which officially confirmed Suhana's NEET-UG 2019 performance. The affidavit verified that she had scored 472 marks, secured an All India Rank of 67,390, and was declared 'qualified' in the national eligibility test.
Taking note of this verified data and the existing precedents, Justice Datta, in his order dated December 31, 2025, ruled: "The NBEMS is directed to treat the affidavit filed by the National Testing Agency, together with the present order, as the NEET-UG 2019 scorecard of the petitioner for all relevant purposes." Following this relief, the court dismissed the application and cancelled the next hearing scheduled for January 26, 2026.
Understanding the FMGE and Its Importance
The Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) is a mandatory screening test conducted by the NBEMS. It is designed for Indian citizens who have obtained their primary medical qualifications from institutions outside India and wish to practice medicine within the country.
Clearing the FMGE is a compulsory step for such graduates to become eligible for registration with the National Medical Commission (NMC) or state medical councils. The exam is a computer-based test featuring 300 multiple-choice questions with no negative marking. Candidates must secure a minimum of 150 marks out of 300 to pass.
For the December 2025 session, the NBEMS had set December 4, 2025 (11:55 PM) as the application deadline. The examination itself is slated to be held on January 17, 2026, across various test centers in India, with results expected by February 17, 2026.
This judgment underscores the judiciary's role in facilitating the careers of medical professionals by providing pragmatic solutions when administrative or documentary hurdles arise, ensuring that a verified lack of a physical document does not impede a qualified candidate's path.
