2 year CRMI! FMGs urge withdrawal of JnK medical council mandate, cite misinterpretation of NMC clarification
FMG Internship
Srinagar: The FMGs have expressed a strong concern over the recent directive issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council regarding the duration of the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs).
Speaking to Medical Dialogues, the Vice President of Jammu and Kashmir Foreign Medical Students' Wing of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA), Dr. Mohammed Momin Khan, said that the Council has informed all the FMGs enrolling into the CRMI programme that they would have to undergo the mandatory internship for two years. He informed that even though students from countries like Bangladesh and Iran pursued their entire course through offline mode, they are also allegedly being asked to undergo an extra year of internship.
Submitting a formal representation addressed to the President and the Registrar of J&K Medical Council, Dr. Momin Khan from AIMSA J&K has urged the Council authorities to withdraw or reconsider the Council's notice dated October 30, 2025, through which the Council released the provisional merit list of FMG candidates.
However, Dr. Momin Khan has argued that the notice was issued based on a misinterpreted clarification issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC).
"On behalf of the All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA), we respectfully submit this representation regarding the Council's notice dated 30 October 2025 concerning the duration of the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI) for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs), The notice is based on an NMC clarification dated 7 August 2025. which was a case-specific communication to Andhra Pradesh Medical Council regarding Uzbekistan graduates. not a general guideline applicable to all FMGs. Applying it universally is both factually incorrect and legally untenable," the association mentioned in the letter.
"Moreover. implementing such a change retrospectively. without prior notification or transition period. causes undue hardship and violates the principles of fairness and legitimate expectation," it further added.
Accordingly, the association has requested the Council to withdraw or suspend the notice dated 30 October 2025 for the batches that completed their course prior to its issuance. Further, it has also requested the Council to maintain the one-year CRMI duration applicable to preceding and succeeding FMG batches under identical conditions.
Dr. Mohammad Momin Khan Vice President AIMSA J&K has demanded the immediate withdrawal of this misleading notice and urge the Hon'ble Chief Minister of J&K to take cognizance of this injustice and ensure that FMGs are treated fairly, in accordance with the law and NMC guidelines.
Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr. Khan said, "Some State Medical Councils seem intent on making FMGs suffer by manipulating NMC guidelines. Just a day ago, the J&K Medical Council posted a so-called clarification from the NMC, citing an Andhra Pradesh High Court judgment involving an FMG. However, the Council deliberately omitted crucial portions of the original clarification issued by both the Hon'ble Court and the NMC - presenting only the parts that justify imposing 2-3 years of internship on FMGs."
"This is a gross misrepresentation. In reality, the Hon'ble High Court clearly instructed that all FMGs who possess a compensation letter and have completed one year of internship in India must be granted permanent registration, and directed APMC to do so within one month," he added.
Earlier, on 29 October 2025, the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council issued another notice in this regard. Relying on the NMC notice dated 07.08.2025, the Council had mentioned, "...NMC has issued explicit guidelines clarifying the duration of CRMI, particularly in relation to the 'compensation'."
"Accordingly, all prospective FMGs who have applied for Provisional Registration to undergo CRMI in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are hereby informed that the duration of CRMl shall henceforth be implemented strictly in accordance with the National Medical Commission (NMC) Notification dated August 7, 2025 (Annexed herewith)," it had also clarified.
Mentioning that the Council would not entertain any requests for the deviation from these regulations, the Council had added, "The Council shall not entertain any requests or representations whatsoever for exemptions, relaxations, or deviations from these mandatory regulations for CRMI including clerkship for FMGs. This issues with the approval of competent authority."
