No Stipend for foreign medical graduates: Delhi HC asks Centre to respond

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre on Association for MD Physicians petition preferring to expeditiously decide its representation on seeking to address the issue of non-payment of stipend to foreign medical graduates undertaking a 12-month compulsory rotation internship in India.

Justice Rekha Palli asked the Centre to file a reply and listed the matter for September 23.

The Association of MD Physicians in its petition has sought to issue direction to extend the benefit of the payment of a stipend to the foreign medical graduates holding their primary medical qualification from recognized medical colleges outside India for undertaking a compulsory rotational internship in India, much like their Indian counterparts who are pursuing their undergraduate medical studies from institutions in India and are paid a stipend.

Additionally, a direction to the Centre to appropriately address the issue of non-payment of stipend to foreign medical graduates undertaking a 12-month compulsory rotation internship in India, thereby bringing them at par with Indian medical graduates and students pursuing MBBS in India was also sought by the petitioner.

The Delhi High Court on January 22, 2021, directed the respondents to consider the representation dated December 3, 2020, made by the petitioner to the respondents within a period of eight weeks.

"Despite the direction passed by Court's direction in Order dated January 22, 2021, the respondents have failed to consider the representation dated December 3, 2020, (and respond to the same), and therefore have failed to comply with the direction of this Court vide order dated January 22, 2021. As a result thereof, the petitioner/ applicant has preferred the instant Application seeking compliance of the order dated January 22, 2021, in the alternative to reagitate the reliefs sought in the subject petition, and thereby reanimate the subject Petition," the petitioner said.

The petition was filed by advocates Adit S Pujari and Kajal Dalal.

The petitioner has urged the court to direct the respondents Centre to consider and respond to the representation dated December 3, 2020, within a period of two weeks expeditiously.