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Patna, June 4, 2025 — Dozens of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) from Bihar staged a protest outside the Bihar Council for Medical Registrations (BCMR) office in Patna on June 3, voicing their frustration over the indefinite delay and lack of clarity regarding the allotment of their Compulsory Rotating Medical Internships (CRMI).
Months of Waiting, No Answers
The protesting FMGs, who cleared the FMG Exam in January 2025, have been waiting for over five months to begin their mandatory internships. Despite repeated assurances from the BCMR and the Bihar government, the students claim they have received only vague timelines and no concrete information about when their internships will commence.
“First, BCMR will tell us that the allotment list will be out in 10 days. When that does not happen, they will ask us to wait for a week more. We spent about six months doing just that — waiting,” said an FMG protester, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Bureaucratic Runaround
The FMGs allege that their attempts to seek clarity from various authorities—including the BCMR, the state health secretary, and even the Ministry of Health—have yielded no results. According to the students, officials either claimed the issue was outside their jurisdiction or said they lacked the authority to intervene.
“No matter which authority we tried to approach, officials brushed their hands off our grievances. Nobody was willing to help us,” said another FMG.
Concerns Over Transparency
The students also expressed concerns about the transparency of the process, with some suggesting that the lack of information was fueling suspicions of possible corruption. “There is zero transparency. We are being left in the dark deliberately,” one FMG alleged.
A Timeline of Frustration
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January 2025: FMGs clear the FMG Exam.
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April 17: BCMR issues the CRMI allotment list, but later withdraws it due to printing errors.
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April 22: A revised list is published, but then declared null and void by the Bihar Health Department over alleged violations of National Medical Commission (NMC) rules.
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Post-April: FMGs attempting to approach teaching hospitals directly were told all slots had been filled and registration deadlines had passed.
One top-performing FMG, who was initially placed at Patna Medical College & Hospital (PMCH), said their internship status remains uncertain despite their high exam score.
Impact on Careers and Mental Health
The ongoing uncertainty has left many FMGs anxious about their futures. “We could have chosen to pursue our internships in neighbouring states, but we chose Bihar because we are from here and wanted to work in our own state. We are now stuck, while FMGs in other states have already begun their internships,” lamented a protester.
Many students from districts outside Patna have had to return home, unable to afford extended stays in the city to continue their protests.
The Road Ahead
With no official from BCMR meeting the protesters and no clear resolution in sight, the FMGs fear that the delay could have disastrous consequences for their medical careers.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on information reported by Edex Live on June 3, 2025. The perspectives and allegations of the FMG students have been presented as reported. Official statements from the Bihar Council for Medical Registrations or the Bihar Health Department were not available at the time of publication. Readers are encouraged to consult official government sources for the latest updates.
