The National Medical Commission (NMC) has informed the Supreme Court that it has initiated regulatory proceedings against seven medical colleges across the country, which were found non-compliant with stipend payment requirements for medical interns, junior residents and senior residents.
The submissions were made before the Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Prasanna B Varale, which is hearing a batch of petitions concerning the payment of stipends to MBBS interns and postgraduate medical students.
The matter pertained to allegations that a large number of medical colleges were either not paying stipends or paying amounts substantially below prescribed norms despite statutory regulations and previous judicial directions. The petitions were filed amid concerns regarding the implementation of stipend-related provisions under the regulatory framework governing medical education.
During the hearing, the counsel appearing for NMC submitted that out of 756 undergraduate medical colleges in the country, there was no dispute regarding stipend payments in 573 institutions. It was further stated that 176 colleges had been established recently and were at different stages of development and operation.
The Commission further apprised the Bench that only seven medical colleges were found to be defaulting in stipend payments. Show-cause notices have been issued to these institutions proposing regulatory action, including the imposition of penalties, the regulator stated, adding that further action would be taken after examining the responses submitted by the concerned colleges.
The counsel representing NMC also informed the Court that one medical college remained closed and did not have any interns, rendering the issue of stipend payment inapplicable in that institution.
With respect to postgraduate medical education, the Commission submitted that 562 colleges were conducting postgraduate courses and paying stipends to resident doctors. It further clarified that two institutions did not have any interns, and therefore, the question of payment of stipends did not arise in those cases.
The proceedings assume significance in view of concerns raised by medical students and activists regarding alleged non-payment of stipends by certain institutions. The issue has also attracted public scrutiny following claims that some colleges have failed to comply with the provisions of the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSMER), 2023, which mandate the payment of stipends to interns and postgraduate students and empower the NMC to take regulatory measures against defaulting institutions.
The matter has also been the subject of several Right to Information applications filed by Kerala-based activist Dr KV Babu, who has questioned the transparency of NMC’s enforcement mechanism. According to materials placed in the public domain, Dr Babu has repeatedly sought details regarding action taken against medical colleges accused of violating stipend regulations. He alleged that the Commission failed to disclose complete information regarding enforcement measures despite multiple requests under the RTI Act.
Particular concerns were raised regarding findings from an NMC survey conducted in 2023 covering 7,901 postgraduate students across 213 private and self-financed medical colleges in 19 States. The survey reportedly indicated that around 16 per cent of postgraduate students were required to return their stipends to college managements after receiving them. Critics have argued that despite these findings, the identities of the institutions involved have not been publicly disclosed.
The litigation stemmed from a petition filed by medical graduate Abhishek Yadav and others seeking effective implementation of stipend-related norms. The petitioners have relied on earlier directions requiring payment of a minimum stipend of Rs 25,000 per month to interns and have raised grievances regarding non-compliance by certain institutions.
To facilitate further adjudication, the Bench appointed Advocate Charu Mathur as the nodal counsel for the proceedings. The Court directed all parties to furnish synopses, pleadings and relevant charts to the nodal counsel so that a comprehensive convenience compilation could be prepared for the Court’s consideration.
The Bench observed that the consolidated record would assist in issuing further directions, wherever necessary, on the next date of hearing. The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 24, when the Court is expected to examine the status of compliance and the steps taken by the NMC against defaulting institutions.
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