Latest news with #FMGs
United News of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
SC directs AMU to pay internship stipend arrears to 11 foreign medical graduates within 2 weeks
New Delhi, July 15 (UNI) The Supreme Court today directed Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to pay internship stipend arrears to 11 Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) within two weeks. A bench, comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar, was hearing the plea filed by 11 FMGs who completed their primary medical education from foreign institutions and are undergoing their internship at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh, a constituent college of AMU. The petitioners, represented by Advocate Charu Mathur, challenged the non-payment of stipends to them, while Indian Medical Graduates (IMGs) at AMU receive Rs. 26,300 per month during their Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI). The bench directed AMU to disburse the stipend of Rs. 26,300 per month to the petitioners within two weeks, ensuring parity with IMGs. As per the plea, FMGs interning at other central universities like Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are also paid the same stipend, whereas FMGs at AMU have not received any stipend, amounting to discrimination. The petition highlighted Clause 3 (Schedule IV) of the National Medical Commission (Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship) Regulations, 2021, which mandates stipend payment to all medical interns as fixed by the appropriate authority. The plea stated that despite having funds allocated under the salary head, with an available balance of Rs 83.31 crore as per AMU's Annual Report for 2023-2024, the university has delayed the stipend payment. The total arrears due to the 11 petitioners for 12 months amounts to Rs. 34,71,600. The petition alleged that AMU has unjustifiably delayed disbursal by repeatedly corresponding with the UGC seeking additional funds, despite the UGC's clarification that stipends are to be paid from the salary grant (OH-36). Notably, the bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia is also examining the issue of non-payment of stipends to FMGs interning at Mahaveer Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal. Earlier in 2024, the Supreme Court had directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to submit details regarding stipend status across medical colleges in all states. UNI SNG SS
New Indian Express
14-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
FMGs seek clarity after Andhra Pradesh HC relief for a student
VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court's (HC) landmark judgment in favour of Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) Mitta Vamsi has brought hope to hundreds of FMGs in the State facing prolonged delays in obtaining permanent registration. However, uncertainty looms as the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) has not offered clarity regarding similarly placed students. While the council has agreed to implement the order for Vamsi alone, it has remained silent on pending cases, fuelling frustration and suspicion among students and stakeholders. Allegations suggest that the delays may not be merely procedural but possibly driven by undisclosed intentions that are jeopardising the careers of many deserving graduates. Hundreds of FMGs have been continuing their agitation since June 30, stating that their protest will continue until justice is served. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Jaggumantri Laxmi Niharika and Nadigantti Sonia, graduates of Bicol Christian College of Medicine, Philippines, said, 'Our Philippine internships should be accepted under the NMC's July 30, 2020, notice. The High Court has ruled clearly in the Katta Vamsi case. We urge APMC to act without delay.' Bathini Jessy Manisha, from Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia, told The New Indian Express, 'I stayed in India during COVID only from March to September 2020. I don't fall under APMC's rejection criteria. I demand that my compensation certificate be accepted without additional restrictions.'
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Foreign Medical Graduates get relief as A.P. High Court asks APMC to issue PR to appellant
In a major relief for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs), who have been fighting for the Permanent Registrations (PRs) for 13 months, a Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on July 9 overturned the judgment of the Single Judge Bench, passed on April 28, and directed the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) to issue PR to an appellant in accordance to the National Medical Commission (NMC)'s June 19 notification within a month. A writ petition was filed by FMGs, seeking the High Court to order the APMC, then represented by the Registrar, to grant the PR to them since they have completed the mandatory one-year internship. In response, the APMC, citing the NMC's guidelines of November 22, 2023, and December 7, 2023, stated that the petitioners have not sufficiently compensated their online study with the offline studies abroad, and therefore, the APMC has not considered their request to issue PRs. On April 28, the Single Judge Bench, considering the NMC's June 7, 2024 notification, dismissed the petition. Later, an intra-court appeal was filed by an FMG, K. Vamsi. It may be noted that the NMC issued a notification on June 7 that mandated a two-year internship for FMGs who studied a part of their course online during the COVID-19 pandemic. But after it received backlash from FMGs across the country, the NMC issued another notice on June 19, 2024, in continuation of the first notice. The June 19 notification clarified that those who have sufficiently compensated for their online classes, took their final exams offline, are eligible for one-year internship. While many States followed the June 19 notification and allotted one-year internship to FMGs who have valid compensation certificates, Andhra Pradesh followed the previous guidelines that mandated two or three years of internship, stating that the certificates were not detailed. In the July 9's judgment, a Divisional Bench of the High Court overturned the April 28 ruling, and stated that the Single Judge did not consider the NMC's public notice dated June 19, 2024, before rejecting the petitioner's contention. The Bench, in its judgment, ordered that the APMC shall grant PR to the appellant, since he has completed the one-year mandatory internship as specified in the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) Regulations, 2021, and as per the June 19 notice. The Bench said the APMC should verify the documents, and if the appellant 'is found to have met the necessary criterion of public notice dated 19.06.2024, PR shall be issued.' The Bench directed that if the APMC doubted the veracity of documents, the burden falls on it to ensure the validity of the documents. The Bench gave a timeline and said the entire exercise should be completed before August 9. Welcoming the judgment, the Andhra Pradesh Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (APNA) said the verdict marks an end to the injustice faced by foreign medical graduates over the past year. APNA State president A.V. Subba Reddy said that now that the court ruled in favour of the appellant, PRs should be granted to all eligible candidates who meet the same criteria.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
APMC meets NMC over FMGs' registration issue
Vijayawada: The two-member Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) team, including its chairman Dr D Sree Hari Rao and registrar I Ramesh, visited New Delhi to meet the National Medical Commission (NMC) to discuss the ongoing issue regarding the issuance of final medical registration (FMR), also known as permanent registration certificates, for foreign medical graduates (FMGs). The team submitted a representation to the NMC, detailing the demands of the FMGs and the rulebook followed by the APMC in issuing permanent registrations to FMGs. They sought a suitable response from the NMC to resolve the issue of permanent registration certificates for FMGs, who are currently on a protest demanding the certificates. "The NMC sought individual data of the FMG students, APMC general body resolutions, and decisions, all of which were submitted to them in a written representation during our visit to NMC in New Delhi on June 9," APMC chairman Dr D Sree Hari Rao told TOI. The APMC team visited the NMC on the directions of health minister Y Satya Kumara Yadav after the internships of the FMGs, through APMC counselling, were extended. This extension led to the FMGs launching a sudden strike by abandoning their duties and demanding the APMC immediately issue their permanent registration certificates in the state. "We submitted all the details and particulars asked by the NMC. It is expected that the undergraduate medical education board of the NMC will meet next week to discuss all the issues raised by the APMC and send a communication regarding the FMGs' permanent registration in AP," a reliable source within APMC told TOI. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh high court gave a ruling in favour of FMG students in a case filed by one of the FMG students, identified as Katta Vamsi, in the high court.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
A.P.'s Foreign Medical Graduates look for internships in other States, thanks to regulatory tangles
Owing to the never-ending delays in issuance of Permanent Registrations (PRs) to Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) who studied a part of their course online during the pandemic, more than 250 graduates of Andhra Pradesh have reportedly opted for neighbouring States to do the compulsory internship. While there is no data that could give an exact number, many graduates think the number of those who left for other States, from the three batches of May and November 2024 and January 2025 could be easily more than 250. Many have chosen Telangana and Karnataka, while a few have also reportedly gone to Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. FMGs, after completion of their medical courses, equivalent to MBBS in India, from foreign universities, have to clear Foreign Medical Graduates' Exam (FMGE) and complete a compulsory internship at an allotted medical college to be eligible for the PR, without which an FMG cannot study further or set up a clinic in India. When the pandemic struck, many students came back to India as the mode of study was online. A compensation certificate was given by foreign universities to those who returned to the campus and completed training and wrote the final exams offline. The National Medical Commission (NMC), however, issued multiple guidelines on these aspects. On June 7, 2024, it said every FMG who studied online during the pandemic should undergo a two-year internship. Following a backlash, the commission released another notification on June 19, 2024, stating one-year internship should be allotted to those who have compensation certificates. Clear position elsewhere In reply to an RTI query filed by FMGs, the States of Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat have responded that they are allotting one-year internship to those with compensation certificates. But the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) is insisting on a two-year internship for FMGs for various reasons, including the lack of full details in the compensation letters. Last year, the reason cited by the APMC for the refusal of issuance of PRs was lack of a council body. Now, even after its formation, the delay continues. While issuance of PRs remains pending, there is confusion also regarding allotment of internships for the batch of students who wrote the FMGE in January 2025. While counselling has begun, verification of certificates is going on. Usually, certificates are verified and internship allotment happens the same day, according to FMGs. According to information from the Telangana Medical Council, out of 143 FMGs who came from other States for the counselling, most of them were from A.P. 'But since there were no vacancies, we could not accommodate all of them in medical colleges here,' said a member of the TG Medical Council. When asked about it, APMC Chairman D. Sreehari Rao confirmed that a few students have left for other States, but there is no clarity on the number. When asked about what is causing the delay in conducting the counselling, the Chairman said the verification process is taking long. Inconsistencies 'Students have not mentioned clearly the duration of the online studies when they returned to India. They all may be genuine cases, but many must not have known about the importance of mentioning these details. In some other cases, the return dates are not matching with their travel details. A few students, I have been told, have mentioned the dates incorrectly because of which we are vetting everyone's certificate carefully,' said Mr. Sreehari Rao. The FMGs, on the other hand, wonder why should there be a problem in A.P. when the certificates are being accepted in Telangana and other States. Taking note of their issues, State Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav had asked the APMC members to visit New Delhi and get clarity from the NMC. Until then, the future of FMGs, around 500 in number, continues to hang in balance.
