NMC mandates MBBS fees only for 4.5 years, not full course duration, to ensure fairness
Certain medical colleges are not just charging fees for the full 5.5 years but are failing to pay stipends during the internship
Rajlakshmi.Ghosh@timesofindia.com EDUCATION TIMES DELHI
20.04.2026
To make medical education affordable and transparent, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a notice instructing all medical colleges to charge MBBS fees strictly for the prescribed academic duration of 4.5 years, and not for the entire 5 or 5.5 years of the programme.
The directive comes in the wake of complaints that several institutions were collecting fees for the full course duration, including the internship period, even though it does not involve formal academic teaching period for the full duration. The Commission has reaffirmed that the MBBS programme comprises 4.5 years (54 months) of academic study, followed by a one-year compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI). Since the internship does not involve classroom-based teaching, charging fees for this period violates prescribed norms.
The NMC further noted that such practices create unnecessary financial burden on the students and do not align with the framework laid out under the NMC Act, 2019 and the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024. Empowering Students Speaking to Education Times , an NMC official says, “Medical colleges are permitted to charge tuition fees only for 4.5 years, which corresponds to the duration of the academic programme. The subsequent one-year internship is a period of clinical training, during which students work in hospitals and are not to be charged tuition fees. Majority of the institutions adhere to this norm. However, the NMC has received complaints that a few colleges are collecting fees for the entire 5.5-year duration, which is not permissible.
This concern has prompted the issuance of a public notice.” Highlighting that such practices are not witnessed in government medical colleges, he adds that there were also complaints that certain colleges are not just charging fees for the full 5.5 years but are additionally failing to pay stipends during the internship period. “In cases where noncompliance is established, the NMC will take strict disciplinary action, including the imposition of substantial financial penalties and other regulatory measures as deemed appropriate. The public notice is expected to bring much-needed clarity on the issue and reinforce adherence to existing regulations,” he says.
Importantly, there has always been a legal basis for students to challenge the collection of excess fees. “This notice serves to reiterate those provisions and to better inform and empower students,” the NMC official adds. Since students are supposed to receive stipends as interns, it should be treated more like an onthe-job training than structured classroom teaching. “Unlike the 4.5 years of formal instruction, the internship year is primarily hands-on, bedside learning without a defined teaching framework.
Given that students contribute to patient care, and in the light of related court proceedings, it was deemed both ethically and practically inappropriate to levy fees for this period. Consequently, separating the internship from the feebearing academic years is a justified and positive move,” says a health ministry official on condition of anonymity. Government colleges typically charge a modest annual fee of Rs 20,000–30,000 per annum, which is unlikely to pose a significant financial burden on students. “But with private colleges charging fees of around Rs 1 crore for the entire course–though this may vary across states, quota and universities–the challenges get compounded.
Post the notice, students would no longer have to pay the additional amount in their internship year. For violations, if any, the NMC has the power to reduce the number of seats which will affect the monetary capability of the colleges engaging in this exploitative activity. Alternatively, the NMC can penalise the colleges with Rs 1 crore fine, as it did recently to seven medical colleges that were not paying stipends,” adds the official.
A recurring concern is that the stipend paid during internship is only a fraction of the fees charged, effectively making students pay to work. “These complaints have been reported across multiple states, with notable frequen-cy in tier-II and tier-III areas,” says Dr Aviral Mathur, consultant, Sir Gangaram Hospital, organising secretary FORDA and past FORDA president.
Regulatory Control
Enforcement of the NMC directive, Dr Mathur says, will likely rely on inspections and recognition of renewals. “Regulatory control through accreditation is the main lever. Colleges, especially newer ones, will need to demonstrate strict compliance, failing which they risk adverse action, including potential derecognition,” he says.
The directive is expected to provide relief by eliminating a year of unjustified tuition, thereby reducing financial burden, loans, and EMIs. “This is particularly relevant at a stage when students are balancing clinical training with preparation for PG entrance exams. The extent of relief will depend on how uniformly institutions implement the directive,” Dr Mathur says, emphasising that the impact on overall affordability will however be limited.
While the notice may standardise one aspect of fee practices, the broader issue includes multiple additional charges throughout UG and PG training. “There is also a foreseeable risk that institutions may offset this loss by increasing charges during the 4.5 year academic period, which requires regulatory oversight,” he says.
Regulations governing fee structures exist to ensure uniformity, transparency, and fairness. “While most institutions comply, a few attempt to circumvent the system. The present notice is intended to deter such practices and uphold the integrity of medical education,” the NMC official adds.
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