MBBS internship stipend revision under consideration- Health Ministry in RTI reply
New Delhi: MBBS interns in central government medical colleges, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) institutes may likely get relief as the Government is considering revising their stipends after more than four years, Economic Times has reported.
Since the year 2018, the MBBS stipend has been revised every two years. However, the cycle broke when, since 2022, there has been no stipend hike to the MBBS interns belonging to central government institutes.
In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, the Health Ministry has informed that the Centre is weighing a revision of MBBS internship stipends, ET has reported.
According to Health Ministry records, a stipend revision was implemented from January 1, 2020, when the stipend was revised from Rs 23,500 (which was in effect from January 1, 2018) per month to Rs 26,300 per month. Thereafter, the stipend was further hiked to Rs 30, 070 from January 1, 2022.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that back in 2023, AIIMS New Delhi increased the monthly stipend for MBBS interns to Rs 30070 per month w.e.f. 01/01/2022.
Also Read: Good News: Stipend for MBBS, BDS Interns of Central Govt institutes increased
Recently, an RTI application was filed seeking details on the non-revision of MBBS internship stipends after January 1, 2022. ET has reported that in response to the said RTI, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on June 15, said that "the matter involves a policy decision and is presently under consideration within the ministry. The proposal is under review, vetting and administrative examination by the competent authorities."
However, the Union Health Ministry refused to disclose the file notings, committee observations, and inter-departmental consultations, citing Section 8(1)(i) of the RTI Act, under which records related to an ongoing decision-making process are exempted from being disclosed.
The Daily has reported that the Ministry has not indicated how much the stipend amount may be increased or when a decision might be taken on the matter.
