New Delhi: In a strong rebuke to the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Supreme Court of India has expressed severe displeasure over the continued non-payment of stipends to MBBS interns across several medical colleges. The apex court observed that despite repeated directions, the NMC has failed to ensure compliance and transparency regarding stipend disbursal, calling on the commission to “wake up from its slumber.”
The Case at a Glance
During the recent hearing, the NMC’s counsel presented a circular issued on July 11, 2025, directing all medical colleges to publish details of stipend payments for their interns. However, the Court noted that most colleges had either failed to disclose the information or had not implemented uniform payment practices, reflecting a deep gap between policy and practice.
The bench, while reviewing the NMC’s response, remarked:
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“The conduct of the NMC requires to be deprecated. The issue of intern stipends has been pending before this Court for far too long. We hope and trust that the Commission will wake up from its slumber and act in earnest.”
Court’s Directives
The Supreme Court granted the NMC two weeks to file a detailed compliance affidavit, listing all medical colleges that have published stipend data on their official websites.
Additionally, the Court directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to supervise and ensure that the NMC enforces the directive effectively. The bench also warned that failure to comply may result in coercive or binding judicial orders.
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Join NEET News 2025 Background and Context
The issue of unpaid stipends has been a longstanding grievance among MBBS interns and Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) undergoing compulsory internships. Despite the NMC’s regulations mandating fair remuneration for all interns, reports suggest that a large number of institutions especially private and deemed universities either pay minimal stipends or none at all.
Earlier this year, a group of interns from the Army College of Medical Sciences (ACMS) filed a plea highlighting that nearly 70% of medical colleges in India do not provide stipends. Following this, the Supreme Court directed ACMS to clear arrears, fixing the stipend at ₹25,000 per month for the affected batch.
The Court also took note of widespread demands for a “One Nation, One Stipend” policy to ensure equality among interns irrespective of institutional affiliation or state boundaries.
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NMC’s Delayed Compliance
Although the NMC had earlier assured the Court of regulatory action, progress has been slow. The July 2025 circular sought to establish transparency by requiring all medical institutions to display stipend information publicly, but compliance has remained patchy.
Experts in medical education policy argue that the lack of enforcement mechanisms within the NMC Act allows colleges to circumvent directives.
“The Supreme Court’s intervention is a critical step towards accountability. Unless NMC introduces a monitoring and penalty framework, stipend irregularities will persist,” said a senior health policy analyst.
Implications for MBBS Interns
The Supreme Court’s intervention could prove transformative for medical interns nationwide. Once the NMC files its compliance affidavit, colleges may be compelled to regularize stipend payments, ensuring interns are compensated fairly for their clinical duties.
Moreover, uniform payment standards could attract greater participation in internships, particularly in rural and semi-urban hospitals where unpaid internships have discouraged medical graduates from joining.
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