NMC Stipend Rules 2025: The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has recently directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to take strict action against medical colleges, govt, private, and deemed, that fail to pay the mandatory stipend to MBBS interns, Junior Residents, Senior Residents, and Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) as per the NMC Stipend Rules 2025.
This directive comes after observations from the Supreme Court that many medical colleges are still not complying with stipend rules or disclosing stipend details transparently.
The NMC stipend rules 2025 say that all medical colleges in India, including govt, private, and deemed universities, must pay medical interns and resident doctors (Jr Residents and Sr Residents) a stipend equivalent to the stipend paid in state govt medical colleges of the same state.
These directions are not new; they arise from a series of NMC regulations, Supreme Court rulings, and medical education policy frameworks meant to prevent exploitation and ensure dignity and fair pay for young doctors who are the backbone of clinical hospital work.
Yet, despite clear regulations, multiple surveys and media reports show that many private and deemed medical colleges either pay very low stipends or none at all, forcing students to work under financial stress.
Join NEET News 2025 With this new directive, the NMC has been asked to strictly enforce compliance, and non-payment may now result in heavy fines, suspension of admissions, or even withdrawal of course recognition.
Why the Government Issued a New Stipend Directive
Despite clear regulations, multiple reports show that many private and deemed medical colleges continue to:
- Pay very low stipends, or
- Do not pay stipends at all, or
- Charge illegal internship fees from students.
This issue has led to:
- Financial exploitation
- Mental stress among trainee doctors
- Unequal academic working conditions
To address this, the Health Ministry orders NMC to act on non-payment of stipends to medical interns and take immediate enforcement action and ensure full compliance across India.
NMC Stipend Rules 2025: Why is It Important?
Medical interns and resident doctors are critical contributors to patient care. Their responsibilities include:
- Managing outpatient departments (OPD)
- Performing emergency and night duty shifts
- Conducting clinical rounds and patient documentation
- Assisting in surgeries and medical procedures
- Supervising ward management and ICU cases
Despite this heavy workload, stipend disparities across institutions have historically created inequality and hardship.
Private and deemed colleges in several states have been reported to pay ₹0 to ₹5,000 per month, while state medical colleges in the same state offer ₹12,000 to ₹45,000+, depending on state policy.
The NMC Stipend Rules 2025 aim to:
- Prevent exploitation of medical trainees
- Ensure uniform pay across all medical colleges
- Enhance transparency and accountability
- Improve mental and financial stability for young doctors
- Promote professionalism and ethical workforce standards
Read Also: Supreme Court Slams NMC Over Non-Payment of Stipends to MBBS Interns, Gives Two-Week Deadline
NMC Stipend Rules 2025: Legal Background
In Abhishek Yadav & Ors. vs. Army College of Medical Sciences & Ors. (W.P. No. 730 of 2022), the Supreme Court of India issued interim directions on:
- Non-payment of stipends
- Illegal internship fees charged by medical colleges
The Court made it clear that: “Non-payment of stipend is not only unethical but also unlawful.”
Colleges compelling students to pay internship fees, instead of paying them, are in violation of constitutional fairness principles and professional ethics.
Regulations That Mandate NMC Stipend Rules 2025
| Regulation / Order | Applies To | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| CRMI Regulations, 2021 (Clause 3, Schedule IV) | MBBS Interns | Stipend must be paid at the same rate as applicable in corresponding state government colleges |
| PGMER, 2000 (Regulation 13) | PG Residents | Mandatory payment of stipend during residency |
| PGMER, 2023 (Regulation 5.4) | Postgraduate Medical Training Institutes | Stipend rates must match those approved by the competent authority |
Thus, medical colleges cannot withhold, reduce, or avoid paying stipends under any internal policy or financial excuse.
NMC Stipend Rules 2025 for FMGs (Foreign Medical Graduates)
For FMGs undergoing mandatory internship:
- They must be paid at par with Indian MBBS interns
- In states with two-year internship rules, stipend is typically paid in the second year
- FMGs cannot be asked to pay internship training charges
This ensures fair opportunities and prevents discrimination.
Exceptions & Leave-Related Rules
- Stipend is paid only for the 52-week official internship duration
- No stipend is paid for extended internship, except:
- Maternity Leave
- Medical Leave
- If a student takes excessive leave for non-medical reasons, stipend is deducted proportionately
NMC Stipend Rules 2025: Key Points
1. Equal Stipend Across Government, Private & Deemed Medical Colleges
All medical colleges must pay the same stipend amount that is paid to interns and PG residents in state government medical colleges within that state.
Example: If a state government medical college in Karnataka pays MBBS interns ₹20,000 per month, then every private and deemed medical college in Karnataka must also pay ₹20,000.
This eliminates the long-standing practice where private institutions exploited interns as unpaid labour while charging high tuition fees.
2. Who Determines the Stipend Amount?
The NMC does not fix a common nationwide stipend amount. Instead, the stipend amount is determined by the competent authority, such as:
- The State Government
- The University / Medical Council of the State
- The Institution Governing Body
The NMC only mandates parity within each state, ensuring fairness in comparison to state-run medical colleges.
3. Mandatory Transparency: Public Disclosure of Stipend Details
All medical colleges are required to publish the following information prominently on their official websites:
- MBBS internship stipend amount
- Junior Resident stipend amount
- Senior Resident stipend amount
This ensures that students, parents, and regulatory bodies can easily verify compliance.
4. Regular Reporting of Stipend Payments to NMC
Colleges must submit stipend payment records to NMC through an official online reporting system (Google Form). This enables real-time monitoring and prevents manipulation or false claims.
The reporting requirement applies to:
- Internship coordinators
- Medical college administrators
- University registrars
Penalties for Non-Compliance of NMC Stipend Rules 2025
The NMC has warned that non-payment or underpayment of stipend will result in strict action under multiple regulatory frameworks.
| Violation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Paying less than state-mandated stipend | Financial penalty and show-cause notice |
| Repeated non-compliance | Suspension of admissions for 1 or more academic years |
| Persistent violation | Withdrawal of MBBS or PG course recognition |
| Gross violation of medical education norms | Fine up to ₹1 crore, as per Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023 |
In other words, a medical college may lose permission to run the course entirely if it cheats interns or residents.
Current Challenges in Enforcement
Despite the clarity of rules, enforcement remains uneven due to:
- Pressure and power imbalance between institutions and students
- Fear of academic retaliation, such as:
- Logbooks not being signed
- Internship completion delays
- Threats affecting NEET PG eligibility
- Colleges pay a stipend “on paper” but force students to return part of it in cash
According to multiple reports, over 60 medical colleges in India pay zero stipend, and more than 50 pay less than ₹5,000 per month, far below mandated parity standards.
Read Also: Private Medical Colleges Save Crores in Stipends Amid NMC Delays!
Why Stipend Parity Matters for Medical Education Quality
The NMC Stipend Rules 2025 are not merely financial guidelines, they are a professional dignity clause.
They ensure that young doctors who run OPDs, emergency rooms, and ICUs across India are treated with respect and fairness.
As the Government steps up enforcement, equal stipend across all medical colleges has the potential to:
- Improve training standards
- Enhance healthcare delivery
- Support the mental and financial well-being of future doctors
A fair, transparent, and humane medical training ecosystem is essential for the future of healthcare in India.
However, the success of this reform depends on:
- Active enforcement by NMC and state authorities
- College-level compliance
- Students reporting violations without fear
For medical interns, residents, and FMGs, this mandate represents a step towards professional respect and humane working conditions.
