Foreign medical graduate (FMG) interns staged a protest at Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad on Thursday, demanding that the Telangana government match their monthly stipend with the amount paid to Indian medical graduates, release pending arrears and protect protesters from punitive action.
The interns are seeking an official government order or circular fixing their monthly stipend at ₹29,792. They alleged that they are currently being paid only ₹5,000 a month, creating a substantial gap between their stipend and the amount they say is available to India-educated medical graduates.
The protesters also demanded the release of eligible arrears from January 2026. Their demands place the focus on how stipend rates are fixed and disbursed for FMG interns working within the state’s medical training system, as well as on whether payment decisions are applied uniformly across categories of interns.
The interns further sought written protection against punitive measures for participating in the demonstration. They specifically raised concerns that peaceful protesters should not face actions such as unfair extensions of their internship. The demand is linked to the interns’ request for a formal assurance from the authorities while the stipend and arrears issue is considered.
Representatives of the protesting interns said the demonstration would continue until the state government issued a written order or circular addressing their demands. The reported protest therefore remains centred on securing a documented administrative decision rather than relying on verbal assurances.
Members of the Telangana State Medical Council, the Osmania Junior Doctors Association, the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association, FAIMA and other medical organisations extended support to the protesters. Their participation brings professional and institutional backing to the interns’ demands, although the report does not indicate that the government has accepted the requested stipend amount or announced a payment schedule.
FMG interns are medical graduates who completed their primary medical education outside India and undertake the required internship in the country. In this case, the dispute concerns their stipend during that internship in Telangana. The protesters’ demand for parity also raises a broader administrative question about whether interns performing comparable clinical training duties should receive different monthly payments based on where they completed their medical education.
The immediate points awaiting a formal government response are the proposed ₹29,792 monthly stipend, the release of eligible arrears from January 2026 and safeguards against punitive action linked to participation in the protest. The interns have said their demonstration will continue until the state issues a written order or circular on these matters.
