New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued show-cause notices to 198 medical colleges for failing to provide details of stipends paid to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. The colleges have been given three days to submit the stipend data for the 2023-24 financial year.
The notice affects 115 government and 83 private medical colleges, which have not disclosed information on stipends paid to undergraduate interns, senior residents, and postgraduate students in super-speciality courses.
In its official notice, the NMC expressed serious concern over the lack of compliance, warning that penal action may be initiated against the listed institutions unless they provide an explanation for their failure to submit the required information.
The issue stems from a Supreme Court directive mandating the NMC to report on stipends paid to medical interns and residents. In compliance, the NMC had earlier instructed all medical colleges and healthcare institutions to furnish stipend details for undergraduate interns, postgraduate residents, and senior residents in super-speciality programs for the 2023-24 financial year.
The official notice reads:
“The Supreme Court of India, in WP(C) No.730/2022 and other cases, through its orders dated 16-09-2023 and 01-04-2024, directed NMC to submit details of stipends paid to medical interns and residents. Accordingly, all health institutions and medical colleges were instructed via a public notice on 16-04-2024 to provide these details as per Annexure-1 to the email: stipend23-24@nmc.org.in.”
For the financial year 2024-25 onwards, the NMC has further directed medical colleges and institutions to publish stipend details on their respective websites, with monthly updates by the 5th of each month. Additionally, a comprehensive annual stipend statement must be submitted to the NMC at the end of each financial year.
