After SC rap, Health Ministry directs NMC to act on non-payment of stipend to medicos
Stipend
New Delhi: Following the Supreme Court's recent order regarding the non-payment of stipends to MBBS interns, the Union Health Ministry has now issued directives to the National Medical Commission (NMC) to examine the issue of non-payment of stipends by medical colleges and institutions to their interns and postgraduates.
This development comes after Health Activist Dr. KV Babu wrote to the Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava on November 3 and referred to the Supreme Court order dated 28.10.2025.
In its order, the Apex Court had taken cognisance of the fact that even though the NMC had intimated the colleges to furnish the details of stipend paid to the MBBS interns, no action was taken by the Commission against the erring institutes. Expressing its hope and trust that the "NMC would wake up from its slumber" and take appropriate steps as indicated in its notice dated 11.07.2025 by the next date of hearing, the Court had also directed the Commission to file an affidavit enclosing the list of medical colleges which have furnished the stipend details.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Apex Court had also directed the Secretary of the Union Health Ministry to ensure that NMC would as indicated in the communication dated 11.07.2025.
Also Read: Publish Complete Fee Structure, Stipend Details- NMC warns Medical Colleges
NMC in the concerned notice dated 11.07.2025 had mentioned that non-compliance with the direction to furnish stipend details would attract regulatory action as per Regulations 30 and 31 of the Establishment of Medical Instiututions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023, Regulation 8 of the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023, and Regulations 9.1 and 9.2. of the PGIMER 2023.
Now, the Union Health Ministry recently wrote to the Secretary of NMC, Dr. Raghav Langer, and said, "You are requested to examine the subject matter and take appropriate action at your end."
Commenting on the matter, Dr Babu told Medical Dialogues, "I have informed the Health Ministry about the SC order directing the secretary health to ensure NMC to act as per the NMC public notice of 2025 July, which states non compliance of regulations will lead to issuance of show-cause notice, imposition of financial penalties, withdrawal of course recognition, suspension of admissions. The Ministry promptly forwarded my communication to the Secretary NMC "to examine the subject matter and take appropriate action at your end."
NMC Directive to Medical Colleges:
Earlier, relying on the directions issued by the Supreme Court and the existing medical education regulations, the National Medical Commission (NMC) on 11.07.2025 had asked all the medical colleges/institutions under the purview of the NMC to publish the complete course-wise fee structure and the stipend paid to interns/Junior Residents/Senior Residents, etc. on their official websites.
For uniform disclosure and monitoring, NMC had created a Google Form link through which institutes must submit the complete course-wise fee structure and details regarding stipend payment to MBBS interns/JR/SR etc. The Commission had noted that while many medical colleges/institutes are also sharing the fee structure and stipend details on the Intra MCC portal. However, the Commission had mentioned that it is not comprehensive. Back then the Commission had also warned that non-compliance with these requirements shall attract regulatory action.
Last year in November, NMC slapped show-cause notices on 198 institutes for not complying with the Commission's directives to upload the details of the stipend paid to the interns and resident doctors.
Back then, releasing a list of those 198 medical colleges on 28.11.2024, NMC specified that the failure of those colleges to submit the information regarding stipends was "considered seriously".
Supreme Court's Order:
NMC issued the directives to the medical colleges after the Supreme Court took cognisance of an allegation that MBBS interns in 70 percent of the medical colleges in the country were not paid a stipend. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court in its judgment dated 29.04.2025 (titled State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors. vs. Miss Bhavna Towari & Ors.) addressed the matter of non-disclosure of fees by the college authorities. In this judgment, the Court mandated that all private and deemed universities must disclose detailed information regarding Tuition Fees, Hostel Charges, Caution Deposits, and all Miscellaneous Charges at the pre-counselling stage.
Recently, on 28.10.2025, during the hearing of the issue concerning the non-payment of stipend to the Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates undergoing MBBS internship, the Supreme Court slammed the National Medical Commission (NMC) for its failure to comply with its own directive issued in July this year requiring all medical colleges to mandatorily disclose stipend details.
With this, the bench granted two weeks to the National Medical Commission (NMC) to file a compliance affidavit in this regard.
