Karnataka among top 3 states with highest internship slots for FMGs With 4,652 internship seats for academic year 2026-27,

Karnataka among top 3 states with highest internship slots for FMGs With 4,652 internship seats for academic year 2026-27, 

Karnataka accounts for over 10 per cent of the total slots available nationwide.

DH Web Desk Last Updated : 11 March 2026, 19:15 IST 

For representative purposeCredit: iStock photos Karnataka is among the states offering the highest number of internship seats for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) in India, according to a circular issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on Tuesday (March 10).

As per the state-wise matrix released by the NMC, Karnataka has 4,652 Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) seats available for FMGs for the academic year 2026–27. This accounts for over 10 percent of the total 43,250 internship slots available nationwide.

As per the data, Karnataka ranks among the top states offering internship seats for FMGs, with the first being Uttar Pradesh (5,034 seats), followed by Telangana (4,871 seats).

Other states with large numbers of seats include Maharashtra (3,662) and Tamil Nadu (3,126). The NMC released the state-wise and college-wise matrix while directing State Medical Councils to begin allotting internship slots to eligible FMGs.

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The data also shows that Karnataka has seen a significant increase in MBBS seats in recent years.

According to the NMC data, the state had 10,045 MBBS seats in the academic year 2021–22, which increased to 13,944 seats by 2025–26, marking an addition of 3,899 MBBS seats over four years.

Also Read:Karnataka gets highest number of medical seats in country Several other states have also recorded major increases in the same period. Telangana added 4,500 seats, the highest in the country, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 4,372 seats. Maharashtra added 2,929 seats, while Tamil Nadu added 2,325 seats. This expansion has significantly increased the pool of internship slots that can be allotted to foreign medical graduates.

As per the guidelines released by NMC, all seats added during and after the academic year 2022-23 will be allotted to FMGs for their Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI)

How CRMI seats for FMGs are calculated

The NMC advisory outlines how internship slots must be earmarked for FMGs in medical colleges.

As per the circular, State Medical Councils must allocate CRMI slots based on the following criteria:

7.5 per cent of the permitted intake of interns in established medical colleges

100 per cent of CRMI seats in newly established medical colleges

100 per cent of the seats added due to increased MBBS intake between academic years 2022–23 and 2025–26

These provisions were introduced after multiple representations and court cases filed by FMGs over delays and denial of internship opportunities in India.

The NMC has directed State Medical Councils to initiate the allotment process for eligible FMGs in coordination with their respective Directorates of Medical Education.