FMG Interns at ESIC Medical College Fight for Justice Over Unpaid Stipends; Turn to Patna High Court

More than 130 FMG interns at ESIC Medical College in Patna have been waiting more than eight months for their FMGE stipends despite Supreme Court directives for stipend payment. 

FMG interns at ESIC Medical College, Bihta, Patna are fighting for their stipends which are unpaid since July 2025. Despite Supreme Court order to pay stipend to Foreign Medical Graduate, Students at ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Patna have not been receiving stipend for the last 8 months. 44 interns have now taken the legal path, bringing a case against the Union of India and the relevant college officials in the Patna High Court after becoming frustrated with the prolonged delay.

In September 2023, the Supreme Court declared that FMG interns should receive stipends comparable to those of Indian Medical Graduates (IMGs) working as interns at government medical colleges.  Furthermore, in May 2022, the National Medical Commission (NMC) published a circular reiterating this instruction. However, interns at ESIC Patna have still not been paid in spite of the Supreme Court verdict on payment of stipend. The students claim that every request about their pay receives unclear replies from college officials, who rationalize bureaucratic delays.  

All FMGs Association (AFA) has shared a statement attaching the official notice of stipend payment to FMGs interns at social media platform 'X' saying" FMG interns at ESIC Medical College, Bihta, Patna at (Esic Patna) have been waiting for 7-8 months for their stipends, while ESIC like those in Haryana have been paying consistently. Despite Supreme Court directives and NMC's guidelines, the college authorities remain unresponsive. Frustrated and unheard, the interns have taken their fight for justice to the Patna High Court. It's high time their contributions are acknowledged and their rights respected." 

The case, which is currently awaiting a hearing in court, has grown into a test of accountability for both ESIC officials and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.  

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