No Stipend for FMGs in Jammu and Kashmir, say Council internship guidelines

Jammu: While on the one hand, foreign medical graduates have filed pleas before the Supreme Court seeking stipends during their internship, the Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council has asked the medical graduates from abroad to submit an affidavit stating that they will not demand any stipend during their the internship period.

Issuing a recent notice, the JK Medical Council has clarified that Foreign Medical Graduates who are desirous to under CRMI will have to submit an affidavit in this regard. This affidavit, duly attested by 1st Class Magistrate, will have to be attached to the preference form.

In the notice dated 17.10.2024, the Council asked medical graduates from abroad to fill out a new preference form as per the latest availability of seats in medical colleges.

"In pursuance to the approval accorded by the competent authority vide NO: ME-ztd/342/2024-02( CC 7588854 Dated: 17-10-2024, this is for information of all FMGs who have previously submitted their preference forms to the Jammu & Kashmir Medical Council to undergo CRMI in J&K Medical Colleges are required to attend the office of the J&K Medical Council to fill out a new preference form as per latest availability of seats in Medical colleges of J&K which include GMC Doda," the Council mentioned in the notice.

"Therefore, all candidates are requested to visit the office of JK Medical Council, Hyderpora Srinagar or 28 8/C Gandhi Nagar Jammu in person as per schedule given below to complete this process to enable this Council to allot the colleges to the FMGs as per their merit secured in FMG examination as per dates shown against each along with all original documents failing which their preference form shall not be entertained," it further added.

Also Read: Supreme Court to Decide on Stipend for FMG Internship, Notice Issued

Further, clarifying that the FMGs will have to give an undertaking stating that they would not claim stipend during the internship period, the Council further added in the notice, "However, the Foreign Medical Graduates who are desirous to undergo CRMI submit an affidavit duly attested by 1st class Magistrate to the effect at they any stipend during this period which shall be attached to the preference form."

This notice comes at a time when recently, the FMGs in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh filed a plea before the Supreme Court seeking regular monthly stipends for medical graduates from abroad pursuing compulsory internships at different government medical colleges, teaching and non-teaching institutes in these states.

In the plea, the petitioners argued that non-payment of stipend clearly violates their fundamental rights. They also mentioned in the plea that if few other colleges were paying stipends to the Foreign Medical Graduates, why were they being discriminated?

Further, the petitioners have argued that there should be no discrimination between the Indian Medical Graduates and the Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs).

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that earlier this year while considering a similar issue, the Supreme Court had observed that the FMGs cannot be treated differently and should be paid stipends during their internship like their counterparts who have done MBBS from the Indian Medical Colleges.

This observation was made by the top court bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prasanna Bhalachandra after taking note of the submissions of lawyer Tanvi Dubey, appearing for a group of doctors, that foreign medical graduates in certain medical colleges are not being paid stipends during their internships.

To view the JK Medical Council notice, click on the link below:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/jkmc-257352.pdf

Also Read: Supreme Court relief: FMGs to now get stipend during internship as Indian MBBS interns