The National Medical Commission (NMC) has faced scrutiny for its inaction regarding 60 medical colleges, including 27 private institutions, that have admitted to not providing stipends to their interns. This issue has been under consideration by the Supreme Court since 2022, highlighting significant concerns over the remuneration of MBBS interns across the country.

Recent Supreme Court Observations

In a recent hearing on October 28, 2025, the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the NMC’s response, suggesting that the commission seems to be complacent in addressing the situation. The court remarked that necessary actions against non-compliant colleges have yet to be taken, prompting concerns about the seriousness of the commission in this regard. The court stated, “We are forced to make this observation as no action seems to have been taken against erring institutions,” emphasizing the urgency for the NMC to take appropriate measures by the next scheduled hearing.

Penalty Imposed on Non-compliant Colleges

As the matter progresses, the NMC designated a financial penalty of Rs 1 crore on seven colleges that failed to disclose information regarding stipend payments, just five days before the court’s latest session. However, despite holding evidence that 60 colleges have not been compensating their interns since 2024, the NMC’s focus has only been on these seven institutions. Analytical reviews of the submitted data from various medical colleges suggest that private institutions benefit financially, avoiding stipend payments that would otherwise align with state-run medical colleges.

Financial Strain on Interns

Current stipends for thousands of MBBS interns engaged in clinical duties are reported to be as low as Rs 2,000 per month, according to information revealed to the Supreme Court by the NMC. Concerns have been raised by the judiciary regarding these compensation levels, with previous judges likening the situation to practices reminiscent of bonded labor due to the long hours interns regularly endure, often between 16 to 20 hours daily.

Ongoing Delays in Regulation Implementation

The absence of a hearing on March 17 has meant that the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Regulations, established in 2021, remain unchanged. These regulations stipulate that “all interns shall be paid stipend as fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the institution/University or State.” In contrast, the guidelines for postgraduate resident doctors ensure that stipends must match those given in state government medical institutions. Despite recommendations from the health ministry for the NMC to revisit stipend provisions for MBBS interns in line with the 2023 postgraduate regulations, the commission has yet to take any meaningful action.

Historical Context of the Issue

This topic has been a point of contention since January 25, 2019, when the Board of Governors of the Medical Council of India sought public feedback on potential amendments to the 1997 Graduate Medical Education Regulations. The proposed amendments highlighted the need to establish stipends for interns on par with those in state government medical institutions. However, with the dissolution of the Board of Governors, these crucial provisions were never formally enacted, leaving the issue unresolved for the past several years.

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