The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice regarding a plea challenging the mandatory additional internship of one or two years for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) whose studies were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic or the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The plea was heard by a bench of Justice BR Gavai (now Chief Justice of India) and Justice AG Masih.
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The petition was filed by the 'Association of Doctors And Medical Students' (ADAMS), a registered group representing FMGs. The petition challenges the public notices issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which mandate an extended period of internship for FMGs who completed their courses through online classes due to disruptions caused by the pandemic or the war.
The petitioners are foreign medical students who began their studies abroad after clearing the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in 2016 and 2017. Under normal conditions, they would have completed their courses by 2022 or 2023. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war interrupted their education.
Due to these disruptions, the NMC requires them to complete an additional internship in India — one or two years — depending on the period they missed. According to the current guidelines:
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- FMGs who returned during their final year and completed courses online must complete two years of internship in India.
- FMGs who returned during their penultimate year must complete three years of internship.
The petitioners argue that the requirement of additional internships is unreasonable, especially for those who missed only a few hours of practical training.
"By virtue of the impugned circulars/notices, all FMGs who had returned to India owing to the pandemic or war and completed their course through online mode have to undergo an additional one or two years of internship in India, irrespective of the number of practical hours they missed," the plea states.
The plea highlights that many FMGs had to take out educational loans to study abroad and are struggling to repay them. Compelling them to pay additional fees for the extended internship period only adds to their financial burden.
The petitioners also pointed out that medical colleges in India can charge a fee of up to ₹5,000 per month for the additional internship period. This, they claim, places an unfair financial strain on students who have already spent substantial amounts on their education abroad.
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The petitioners have requested the Supreme Court to direct the NMC to:
- Recognize the practical training certificates issued by the foreign universities attended by FMGs.
- Allow FMGs to complete any missed practical hours in Indian medical colleges instead of mandating a full one or two years of internship.
Appearance: Senior Advocate PV Dinesh, AoR Zulfikar Ali PS (for petitioner)
Case Title: ASSOCIATION OF DOCTORS AND MEDICAL STUDENTS (ADAMS) Versus UNION OF INDIA AND ORS., W.P.(C) No. 473/2025
