Chennai: The Madras High Court has ruled that non-service post-graduate students of Annamalai University are entitled to receive stipends equal to those paid to students in Government Medical Colleges.
Dismissing a plea by Annamalai University, the HC bench of Justice C. Kumarappan directed the institution to pay the balance stipend amount, if any, in accordance with G.O.Ms.No.307 Health and Family Welfare (MCA-2) dated 25.07.2018, within three months.
The case involved PG students demanding stipend parity with their counterparts in state-run institutions. Annamalai University had argued that G.O.Ms.No.307 did not apply to it, claiming students were only eligible for stipends under the University syndicate resolution. The State Government, however, supported the students’ stance.
The Court noted that both the government order and NMC regulations (Clause 13.3) mandate that private medical college students receive the same stipend as government medical college students. Even if G.O.Ms.No.307 did not explicitly mention private colleges, the NMC regulations — which have statutory force — made the entitlement clear.
The HC also referred to G.O.Ms.No.261 (21.11.2022), which specifically allowed eligible non-service PG students and CRRIs of the erstwhile Annamalai University to receive stipends.
Concluding that Annamalai University is bound by the 2018 government order, the Court ordered the release of pending stipend payments to the petitioners.
