Key Points:
NMC announced 43,250 CRMI internship slots for Foreign Medical Graduates for 2026–27.
Circular issued by UGMEB on March 10, 2026.
State Medical Councils directed to begin internship allotment in coordination with Directorates of Medical Education.
7.5 percent internship seats in existing medical colleges allocated to FMGs.
100 percent seats in newly established colleges and increased MBBS intake seats reserved for FMGs.
States asked to report discrepancies in the seat matrix within one week.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has announced 43,250 Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) slots for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) across India for the academic year 2026–27. The directive was issued on March 10, 2026, by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the NMC.
The commission has instructed State Medical Councils (SMCs) to begin the allotment of internship seats to eligible FMGs in coordination with their respective Directorates of Medical Education. The move aims to address the ongoing shortage of internship opportunities faced by foreign trained medical graduates seeking registration to practice in India.
As part of the directive, the NMC released a nationwide CRMI seat matrix identifying 43,250 internship positions across states and union territories. These seats will be used to facilitate the internship training required for FMGs who have cleared the mandatory licensing examination in India.
The commission clarified that the 43,250 seats are in addition to internship positions already available in approved non teaching hospitals and institutions permitted to conduct CRMI programs.
State authorities have also been asked to review the matrix and report any discrepancies or factual errors within one week from the date of the communication issued on March 10, 2026.
The NMC has outlined specific rules for allocating internship seats to foreign medical graduates.
According to the guidelines:
7.5 percent of the permitted intern intake in established medical colleges will be allocated to FMGs
100 percent of internship seats in newly established medical colleges will be reserved for FMGs
All internship seats created due to increased MBBS intake in existing colleges between academic years 2022–23 and 2025–26 will also be allotted to FMGs
These measures are intended to expand internship capacity while ensuring that opportunities for Indian medical graduates remain unaffected.
The NMC has directed all State Medical Councils to initiate the allotment process immediately and ensure that the procedure follows existing rules, public notices, and regulatory guidelines governing FMG internships.
Authorities must coordinate with the Directorates of Medical Education in their respective states to complete the process efficiently.
The Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship is a mandatory one year clinical training program that medical graduates must complete before receiving permanent registration to practice medicine in India. During the internship period, graduates rotate through various hospital departments to gain practical clinical experience.
For Foreign Medical Graduates, completing CRMI in India is an essential step toward obtaining registration with the NMC and beginning medical practice in the country.
The announcement of 43,250 internship seats for the 2026–27 academic year is expected to ease the backlog faced by thousands of foreign trained doctors awaiting internship placements in India. By expanding the available seat pool, the NMC aims to streamline the licensing pathway and support eligible FMGs in completing the final requirement for medical registration.
(Rh/ARC)
