Supreme Court Steps In As FMGs Fight For Rightful Stipend In Gujarat Internship Row
The petition highlights that Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) interning in Gujarat are being denied stipends, in direct violation of the NMC (Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship) Regulations, 2021. Specifically, Clause 3 of Schedule IV mandates that all interns (including FMGs) must be paid a stipend fixed by the appropriate authority.
The plea alleges that medical colleges in Gujarat are coercing students into signing undertakings (affidavits) waiving their right to a stipend as a condition for joining the internship. This is described as discriminatory, as Indian Medical Graduates (IMGs) receive regular payments for the same duties.
The petitioners seek immediate payment of monthly stipends on par with IMGs and arrears for the unpaid period.
The Supreme Court has effectively signaled to the Gujarat government that denying stipends violates the NMC’s 2021 Regulations, specifically Clause 3 of Schedule IV, which mandates equal pay for all interns. The state now has a limited time to file a response explaining why they have not been paying these students.
