NMC Allows Delhi Medical Council to Relax Stipend Condition, give internship posting to FMGs at MCD Hospitals

New Delhi: Taking cognisance of the difficulties faced by the Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) to complete their one-year compulsory rotating internship training in Delhi, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has agreed to Delhi Medical Council's proposal to relax the condition to pay stipend to medical graduates from abroad, who are willing to forgo the stipend.

Although, the Apex Medical Commission acknowledged that as per FMGL Regulations, 2021, grant of stipend to interns is a State matter and NMC only is a regulatory body, it decided to relax the stipend conditions while keeping in view the best interest of students and financial implication to provide stipend by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCDs).

As per the rules, the medical graduates from abroad must undergo a one-year mandatory internship to be able to register and practice in India. Without its completion, the FMGs become ineligible to appear in postgraduate (PG) entrance tests and commence their medical practice.

While institutes like Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) have existing Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM) departments, where the FMGs can undergo their mandatory training, these facilities are not present at non-teaching facilities such as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital, Ganga Ram, and BLK Max Hospital.

Even though these institutes offer internships to FMGs, they lack the mandatory PSM departments. Therefore, the students at these institutes are required to complete a three-month internship at alternative facilities like MCD hospitals with community medicine facilities.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that FMGs were alleging that the MCD had not allocated existing positions to FMG students, citing financial and position constraints. Due to this, the FMGs could not get the required practical experience. Explaining the issue, an Executive Member of the Delhi Medical Council, Dr. Ashwini Dalmiya had mentioned that the issue emerged after the Supreme Court proceedings regarding the FMG internship compensation as the Apex Court had mandated equal treatment and stipends for the FMGs during the internship. Following this, MCD stopped offering internship positions, citing inability to provide stipends due to budget limitations.

Raising the issue, the Delhi Medical Council had written to the NMC. Now, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the apex Medical Commission has responded and agreed to relax the conditions for paying stipend to the FMGs if they forgo the stipend.

Writing to the President of DMC on 28.04.2025, the UGMEB mentioned, "The proposal of Delhi Medical Council to relax the condition to pay stipend to FMGs who are willing to forgo the stipend in Delhi, has been examined in National Medical Commission."

"As per FMGL Regulations, 2021, grant of stipend to interns is a State matter and NMC is only a regulatory body. However, keeping in view the best interests of students, and financial implication to provide stipend by Municipal Corporation of Delhi; the National Medical Commission has no objection to the proposal of Delhi Medical Council to relax the condition to pay stipend to FMGs who are willing to forgo the stipend," clarified NMC, while agreeing to DMC's proposal to relax the condition of paying stipend to FMGs.

"This is in view of the urgency involved & to facilitate completion of their mandatory internship training, without further delay," NMC UG Board further mentioned in the communication.

Also Read: Delhi FMGs Unable to Enrol for Internships at MCD Hospitals