NMC Tells SC 7 Medical Colleges Not Paying Stipends

New Delhi: The National Medical Commission has informed the Supreme Court of India that seven medical colleges are not paying stipends to interns, junior residents and senior residents, and have been issued show-cause notices.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale was told that out of 756 undergraduate medical colleges, there was no dispute regarding stipend payments in 573 institutions, while 176 colleges had been established recently.

“He (NMC’s counsel) submits that seven medical colleges have not been paying stipend for which the NMC has already taken steps by issuing show cause notices for levying of penalty and on receipt of reply further steps would be taken by them. He adds that one medical college has remained closed and there are no interns in the said college. He further elaborates his submission by contending that 562 colleges are running post graduate courses and they are paying the stipend to the interns and only two medical colleges do not have any interns and as such question of payment of stipend by these two colleges would not arise,” the court recorded.

The court appointed advocate Charu Mathur as nodal counsel and directed parties to submit synopses, charts and pleadings to her.

“A convenience compilation shall be prepared and be furnished to the Court for issuing further directions in these matters wherever necessary, by the next date of hearing,” it said, posting the matter to August 24.

The court was hearing a petition filed by medical graduate Abhishek Yadav and others on payment of stipends to medical students.

It had earlier noted that despite a September 2023 order mandating a stipend of ₹25,000 per month for interns from October 2023, the previous batch had not been paid.