New Delhi: Private medical colleges across India are saving crores of rupees by either not paying stipends to MBBS interns and resident doctors or paying them significantly less than government medical colleges. Despite clear regulations mandating fair stipends, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has failed to take action, passing the responsibility to state authorities.
Key Issues
- Non-Payment of Stipends:
- Data submitted to the Supreme Court by NMC revealed that 60 colleges (33 government, 27 private) do not pay MBBS interns any stipend.
- Many private colleges have not even submitted stipend details, avoiding scrutiny.
- Stipends Below Minimum Wage:
- Thousands of MBBS interns are paid less than Rs 5,300 per month, the national floor minimum wage.
- Some colleges pay as little as Rs 2,000 per month, despite charging Rs 65 lakh to over Rs 1.2 crore in tuition fees.
Stipend Disparity Across States
- Andhra Pradesh:
- Govt Colleges: ₹22,500/month
- Private Colleges: ₹2,000–₹5,000/month
- Karnataka:
- Govt Colleges: ₹30,000/month
- Private Colleges: ₹10,000–₹12,000/month
- Pondicherry:
- Govt Colleges: ₹20,000/month
- Private Colleges: ₹5,000/month
- Assam: ₹35,000/month (Govt)
- Uttar Pradesh: ₹12,000/month (Govt)
Why Are Private Colleges Getting Away With It?
- Loopholes in NMC Regulations:
- The 2021 NMC internship regulations vaguely state that “stipend shall be paid as fixed by the appropriate authority,” allowing private colleges to exploit the ambiguity.
- The 2023 PG Medical Education Regulation requires private colleges to match government stipends, but enforcement is weak.
- Failure of NMC & Health Ministry:
- Activists like Dr. KV Babu have repeatedly urged the government to enforce uniform stipend rules, but no action has been taken.
- Despite the Supreme Court ruling that stipends are mandatory, NMC claims it lacks sufficient data to act.
Financial Gains for Private Colleges
- By underpaying MBBS interns, private medical colleges save over ₹2 crore per year, even as they collect ₹50 crore or more from tuition fees.
- A college with 150 MBBS seats would spend ₹4 crore annually if it paid government-equivalent stipends—but by cutting stipends, they drastically reduce expenses while maximizing profits.
What Needs to Be Done?
- Centralized Stipend Structure: A fixed national stipend amount for both government and private medical colleges.
- Strict Enforcement: NMC must directly monitor private colleges and penalize non-compliance instead of passing responsibility to states.
- Transparency & Accountability: Medical colleges should be required to publicly disclose stipend payments to ensure compliance.
The issue remains unresolved as NMC delays action, leaving thousands of young doctors struggling financially while private institutions continue to profit at their expense.
