After Delhi and Bihar, Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in Uttar Pradesh (UP) have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the allotment list of the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internships (CRMIs), released yesterday, June 13.
According to them, the list allotted internships to just about 800 FMGs in the state under the UP domicile category. They claim that this is severely insufficient for the reportedly 1,200-1,300 candidates who cleared the FMG Exam in January this year, and are waiting for their internships.
In addition, candidates allege that there were more internship seats in Uttar Pradesh for FMGs than what was allotted. “National Medical Commission’s data reveals that UP can release up to 2,500 seats for FMG internships. However, they did not even open half of that,” Chandu*, an affected FMG told EdexLive.
He added that in the allotted seats, only 340 seats were in government hospitals, as opposed to 600 allotted seats from last year. “Most of the internships allotted this year are in private hospitals, where there is no guarantee of stipends,” he said.
In addition, the UP Medical Council (UPMC), which is responsible for CRMI allotments for FMGs, has not even opened seats from district health centres and autonomous hospitals, the FMG informed.
Furthermore, when FMGs tried to ask the UPMC about internships for the candidates, they were told to apply in other states or wait for the “next round of internship counselling”, without providing any information on when it would be conducted.
This opacity and lack of information from the UPMC has led to FMGs in the state feeling clueless about their internships, who had already spent five months waiting for their allotment.
“I cleared the FMGE with good scores on my first attempt, which was a big deal given how the exam has a low pass rate. I thought that I would be allotted internships in the domicile category in UP with my scores. However, this feat seems to have been for naught,” Chandu* lamented.
Given its size and the number of hospitals in the state, FMGs from UP deem it unacceptable that the UPMC allotted internship seats less than the number of qualified FMGs.
“This has never happened before,” Kumar*, another FMG from the state told EdexLive, adding, “It is not possible that the UPMC cannot accommodate all qualified FMGs for CRMI.”
Considering that the UPMC knew how many candidates who cleared the FMGE were applying for internships in the state, the graduates said that the council ought to have enough internship seats for all of them.
“We already paid the application fee of Rs 6,000 in UP; why should we apply elsewhere and shell out even more money?” Kumar* asked.
Furthermore, the graduates state that even the conduct of the UPMC while releasing the CRMI list was worrisome.
“The UPMC works from 10 am to 5 pm from Mondays to Fridays. They released the list yesterday, which was a Friday right before 5 pm. Even if we try to contact them regarding the list, they will not get back to us until Monday,” Kumar* claimed.
He added that the UPMC’s alleged negligence and apathy are apparent, as the list was titled “Recruitment of Contractual CHO position Under NHM UP" — which was meant for paramedical and nursing staff appointments. “They did not even change the name of the list. This behaviour is extremely frustrating,” he said.
In response to this, FMGs in the state have decided to gather at the UPMC’s office in Lucknow on Monday, June 16, to seek more clarity on the lack of allotments and demand more of them.
However, they doubt whether they will receive any relief or clarity from the UPMC even if they head to its office. “Right now, we are in the dark. We do not know what is happening, or what’s about to happen. We feel really helpless,” Kumar* said.
For them, joining their CRMI on time is a matter of urgent priority, as they would not be eligible for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test - Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2026 if their internships get delayed.
“We don’t mind not receiving stipends either; we just want to be allotted internships,” Chandu* declared.
*Names changed to protect the sources’ identity
