NMC slaps a penalty of Rs 50,000 against medical colleges defaulting on stipends, admission information

NMC slaps a penalty of Rs 50,000 against medical colleges defaulting on stipends, admission information

 Institutions are required to provide details related to stipends and submit supporting documents 

Sonal.Srivastava@timesofindia.com 07.04.2025

The National Medical Commission (NMC) routinely asks medical colleges to submit information regarding admissions including details of stipends given to the resident doctors and MBBS interns. To control irregularities related to admission, details of admitted students and distribution of stipends, NMC plans to impose a penalty of Rs 50,000 on erring colleges. Besides the colleges might face the threat of a reduction in the number of seats, if colleges are found flouting NMC norms. According to a PGMEB public notice dated March 29, 2025, the last date for online submission of this information has been extended to April 7. All institutions are required to provide details related to stipends, whether or not stipends are being paid. If not, institutions must give reasons and submit supporting documents in hard copy. These must include details such as the amount of stipend paid, the stipend paid by government institutions in the respective state, and the name of the postgraduate teacher under whom the student is admitted.

 “The 50,000 penalty is a general fine applicable to institutions that have failed to submit admission data for the 2024–2025 academic year. Some institutions have cited technical reasons for the delay,” said a source in the Ministry of Health, on the condition of anonymity. Unless the NMC has complete data, it cannot act appropriately against erring institutions. “The institutions must submit all required information with an undertaking. This includes stipend details; some institutions have yet to provide this data. The NMC cannot impose penalties arbitrarily; there must be a structured process. 

The Rs 50,000 penalty is more of a reminder with consequences. If colleges still do not comply, stricter action can be taken. The NMC is currently short-staffed, but new members are expected to join soon, who will scrutinise the reports, and if an institution is found guilty, penalties may be imposed, including a reduction in seats,” the source added. 

In 2023-24 AY, 80–90% of colleges paid penalties, depending on the deficiencies noted. Penalties ranged from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and even Rs 50 lakh. The Rs 50,000 fine is specifically for colleges that fail to submit data to the NMC within the deadline. “There is a general rule regarding payment of stipends. A standard amount has been mandated for all, but students often do not raise complaints. This is also a law-and-order issue—students are legally entitled to file an FIR. However, they must first approach their college, then the university, followed by the state counselling authorities, and finally the NMC. The state is the first responder. It must escalate the matter to the NMC if it cannot resolve the issue. After all, the state issues the essentiality certificate to a medical institution,” says the source. 

Currently, some private state medical colleges are not strictly adhering to stipend regulations. Dr KV Babu, RTI activist, has been following the issue of nonpayment of stipends, for nine years and demands strict action against such medical colleges. “As per the NMC, the state medical councils should keep a check and attend to complaints. I have also written to the Prime Minister’s Office as the current situation is extremely demotivating for interns and resident doctors. 

In Kerala, interns in some private colleges receive as little as Rs 100-200 per day, while their counterparts in government colleges earn Rs 26,000,” says Dr Babu. The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has been consistently advocating for mandatory, uniform stipend structures across all medical colleges. “There should be strict penalties for institutions that fail to pay or underpay interns, and a transparent monitoring system where interns can report stipendrelated grievances without fear of retaliation,” says Aviral Mathur, former president, FORDA. Failing to pay stipends raises serious ethical concerns as it undermines the principle of fair compensation for work, especially in a profession as critical as medicine.

 “It reflects poorly on the institution’s commitment to student welfare and creates inequities between interns in government and private colleges, thereby harming the fairness of the medical education system,” says Dr Partha Pratim Mandal, convener, IMA Junior Doctor Network, West Bengal.