The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Gujarat government on a plea alleging that Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in the state are being denied the mandatory stipend during their Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI), in violation of National Medical Commission (NMC) regulations.
A Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B. Varale sought responses from the National Medical Commission, Gujarat Medical Council, Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS), and the State of Gujarat. The court also ordered that the matter be linked with a batch of similar petitions concerning non-payment of stipends to FMGs in several states.
The petition, filed by the All India Parents Association, Belarus Medical Students through advocate Tanvi Dubey, argues that the NMC (Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship) Regulations, 2021, clearly mandate payment of a monthly stipend to all medical interns, including FMGs, at rates fixed by the respective state authorities.
Despite these provisions, the plea claims that FMGs undergoing internships in government-run and GMERS-affiliated medical colleges in Gujarat have not been paid any stipend. It further cites multiple NMC circulars directing states to ensure stipend parity between FMGs and Indian Medical Graduates (IMGs).
The petition points out that several states, including West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, have already implemented these directions. It alleges that FMGs in Gujarat are compelled to sign undertakings waiving their right to claim stipend, failing which they risk losing internship allotment.
Describing the practice as coercive and arbitrary, the plea contends that such conditions violate fundamental constitutional rights. The petitioners have sought directions for immediate payment of monthly stipend to all FMGs in Gujarat, along with arrears, interest, and the creation of a uniform stipend determination mechanism in line with NMC regulations followed elsewhere in the country. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]

SC Seeks Gujarat Reply on FMG Internship Stipend

Top court issues notice over alleged denial of mandatory stipend to foreign medical intern

SC Seeks Gujarat Reply on FMG Internship Stipend

Top court issues notice over alleged denial of mandatory stipend to foreign medical intern

November 28, 2025 | 20:21 IST