NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has imposed a Rs 1 crore penalty on seven medical colleges, including institutes in Bangalore and Andhra Pradesh, for not furnishing details on payment of stipend to the medical interns, despite repeated reminders.
These seven institutes include four government medical colleges.
The announcement came as the stipend case is listed in the Supreme Court for hearing on Tuesday. The apex court last October slammed the medical body, which regulates medical education in India, for failing to ensure the payment of stipends to medical interns. It termed the lapse “deeply concerning” and “unjustified,” given the very long hours the young doctors endure.
The four government medical colleges are - Dumka Medical College, Dighi, Dumka, Jharkhand, (affiliated with Sidho Kanhu Murmu University); Government Medical College, Barmer, Rajasthan (affiliated with Rajasthan University of Health Sciences); Government Medical College, Ongole (Previously known as Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Ongole), Andhra Pradesh (affiliated with Dr YSR University of Health Sciences) and Pt. BD Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana (affiliated with Pt. BD Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak).
The three private medical colleges are -- Akash Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Devanahalli, Bangalore, Karnataka (affiliated with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka); RKDF Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Jatkhedi, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (affiliated with Barkatullah University); and Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (affiliated with Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Faizabad).
According to Kerala-based RTI activist, Dr KV Babu, “The penalty imposed on seven medical colleges is just an eyewash. It's not for nonpayment of stipends, but for not submitting the details of the stipend paid. There is nothing in the public domain about NMC taking any action against medical colleges not complying with the CRMI regulation/PGME regulations regarding stipend.”
“In fact, in August 2023, NMC itself disclosed the results of a survey stating that 2,110 PG doctors didn't get any stipend, while some medical colleges took back stipends from 1,228 PG doctors. The NMC didn't disclose the names of these medical colleges, let alone taking any action against them,” said Dr Babu, who has been pursuing the matter for the past several years.
He said the latest move by NMC is in light of the SC's harsh remarks in October 2025. "This penalty is too little and too late,” he added.
The NMC said that in its earlier notice, dated July 11,2025, it had directed all medical colleges and institutions across the country to disclose on their official websites the stipend being paid to MBBS interns and postgraduate medical residents, as mandated under the applicable Regulations, and to ensure transparency and uniformity in the payment of stipend.
“Despite the aforesaid directions and the adequate time provided for compliance, it has been observed that some medical institutions have failed to comply with the above-mentioned directions,” it said in its public notice, dated March 12.
“After duly examining the data received, it was concluded that there are seven medical colleges which have not furnished the required information regarding payment of stipend to the medical interns, despite repeated reminders. Such failure constitutes a violation of the directions issued by the NMC and amounts to non-compliance with the regulatory obligations prescribed under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and the relevant Regulations framed thereunder.
“The non-compliance with the above-mentioned requirements attracts regulatory actions under Clause 30 and 31 of the Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023; Clause 9.2 of the PGMER, 2023, and Clause 8 of the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023,” the notice said.
The notice issued by Ram Pratap, Director, Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) further said, the Commission “views the non-compliance as a serious and material breach, particularly in light of the directions issued by the Supreme Court, mandating the payment of stipend to medical interns and residents.
“The continuing non-compliance with the mandate regarding payment of stipend and disclosure of the same on the institution's websites shall attract further regulatory and penal actions, including but not limited to restrictions on admissions, suspension of permissions, or other disciplinary measures as deemed appropriate by the Commission,” the notice further added.
The NMC introduced the CRMI regulations to set the standards for medical internship training across India for both Indian and foreign medical graduates.
NMC issued the gazette notification on November 18, 2021.
However, while the CRMI regulations left the decision on the stipend to the institution, the PGMER-2023 clearly stated that all candidates pursuing compulsory rotating internship shall be paid a stipend on par with that paid to interns of state government medical colleges.
In its October 28 order, the Supreme Court had said pulled up NMC, stating that “The conduct of the NMC requires to be deprecated as much as the payment of the stipend to the interns has been pending since long before this court, and yet the NMC seems to be dragging its feet without any serious consideration.”