NMC distances from non-payment of stipend by private medical colleges
The violation attracts withholding and withdrawal of accreditation
for five academic years and a penalty of Rs 1 crore.
National Medical Commission.
Updated on:
17 Feb 2025, 7:26 am
NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has washed off its hands on the issue of non-payment of stipends by 198 medical colleges and institutions to its undergraduate interns, postgraduate residents, and senior residents.
Instead, they have said that the states where these medical colleges and institutions are located are responsible, an RTI has revealed.
This is despite the fact that NMC regulations clearly state that if any regulation, including non-payment of stipends to interns and postgraduate students, is violated, several steps can be taken against the erring medical college and institution.
The violation attracts withholding and withdrawal of accreditation for five academic years and a penalty of Rs. 1 crore.
Speaking with this TNIE, Union Health Minister JP Nadda also said that states are responsible for paying stipends to postgraduate residents. He, however, said that if the non-payment of stipends is brought to their attention, they will act on it.
Responding to an RTI filed by activist Dr K V Babu on the status of the action taken against stipend-non-paying colleges by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB), the NMC said, “It is also informed that NMC is the regulatory body which issues guidelines and regulations from time to time.”
“Implementing the guidelines/instruction/advisory is solely at the discretion of the concerned state authorities under which the medical college/institute is located. However, collecting data on a stipend is in process," the reply, dated February 10, said.
Following Supreme Court direction, the NMC issued show cause notices to 115 government and 83 private colleges and institutions last November, which this paper reported first, for non-submission of the details of stipends paid to undergraduate interns, PG residents, and senior residents or PGs in super speciality colleges and institutions.
However, despite issuing show-cause notices to these medical colleges, no action has been taken against them.
"Though the NMC issued show cause notices to 198 medical colleges for not submitting the stipend details paid to post graduates and interns and resident doctors, they have been evasive regarding their actions against these non-paying medical colleges. They have now stated that it is the discretion of state authorities!,” Kerala-based Dr Babu told this paper.
He further said that the regulations gazetted by the NMC in September 2023 regarding actions that they can take clearly state that monetary penalties up to Rs.1 crore can be imposed for non-compliance of the regulations.
“NMC can even withhold accreditation for five years. I had been repeatedly saying that the NMC is solely responsible for non-compliance of regulations by private medical colleges regarding stipend for interns and resident doctors," said Dr Babu, who has filed several RTIs on the issue of non-payment of stipend to interns.
Dr Babu also wrote to Nadda on this issue on January 29 and urged him to look into the matter and intervene under Section 45 of the NMC Act, which gives the central government the power to issue policy directions to the Commission and Autonomous Boards.
Various resident doctor associations, including FAIMA and FORDA, have raised the issue of non-payment of stipends multiple times.
The NMC conducted a survey on the directions of NHRC in 2023 to ascertain the amount paid to UG/PG students in 2023.
The survey showed that of the over 7,000 PG students, 2,000 did not receive stipends, most of which were from private colleges.
The survey also revealed that 1,228 students who were getting stipends from the colleges were asked to return them by the management.
Dr Babu said he had filed an RTI on January 13 and had sought copies of the notices issued to the medical colleges asking its post graduates to return the stipend.
In the RTI reply, dated February 15, he was told that no notices were issued and only an advisory was issued to these medical colleges.
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