Bihar FMGs get relief as State Releases Internship Allotment list

Patna: Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Bihar have found relief after months of uncertainty, with the state government officially releasing the list of internship allotments on June 4.

The decision brought an end to the FMGs' protest at the Bihar Council for Medical Registrations (BCMR) office in Patna, where they had been staging a protest since June 3.

Previously, Medical Dialogues reported that the FMGs have urged the Bihar Health Department to urgently release the corrected list of the mandatory internship programme, which is mandatory for all the medical graduates from abroad. Even though the Bihar Medical Council had released the internship lists, recently the State Health Department cancelled two such lists for the FMGs due to errors.

The graduates had been anxiously awaiting the start of their Compulsory Rotating Medical Internships (CRMI) after clearing the FMG Examination in January. Despite repeated appeals, there had been no updates for over five months, causing significant distress and delaying their academic progression. Their main demand was immediate allotment to medical colleges so they could begin their mandatory internships—a prerequisite for medical practice and further postgraduate education in India.

Responding to the growing unrest, the Bihar Department of Health issued an official notice dated June 4, 2025, announcing the long-awaited allocations. According to the notice, 551 applications had been received from FMGs seeking internship placements. After a verification process, each applicant was allotted a medical college, with assignments detailed in Column 4 against their names, reported daily.

Speaking to EdexLive, a graduate who wished to remain anonymous expressed his gratitude and relief. "If you work tirelessly for anything and your demands are accepted, it feels really good, and we are relieved that our protest ended successfully with the list being released. We are very thankful to the Bihar Medical Association and BSMR, and all the associations and students involved in the protest, which led to its successful end," he said. He also thanked the supporters who stood by them during the demonstration.

However, the student raised concerns based on previous experiences. " Past trends suggest that colleges often delay the process and start the internships by August, and some even deny providing the internships based on the list released, saying they are not obliged to follow everything. They often refuse to pay the stipends and even charge high fees for hostel allotment and mess charges," he added. These challenges could jeopardize their ability to complete internships by the July 31, deadline for NEET PG eligibility. While the release of the allotment list marks a major step forward, FMGs now face the task of ensuring the timely commencement of their internships and monitoring compliance from the assigned institutions.