The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): In the Supreme Court on February 6, Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prasanna B Varale considered grievances from MBBS interns regarding inadequate stipends from medical colleges. Justice Dhulia expressed strong dissatisfaction with these institutions, highlighting the paradox of charging fees as high as one crore for medical education while neglecting to pay interns. He emphatically stated, “Either you pay them, or you don’t have the internship.”
This situation is not new. The Court had previously directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to address complaints that 70% of medical colleges fail to pay any stipend or do not meet the minimum stipend standards for MBBS interns.
One petition, from the students of the Army College of Medical Sciences (ACMS), led to a directive for the ACMS to pay a monthly stipend of Rs. 25,000 to interns. Senior Advocate Colonel (Retired) R Balasubramanium, representing ACMS, clarified that the college is operated by the Army Welfare Education Society and receives no government aid.
The petitioners’ advocate, Tanvi Dubey, revealed that despite joining in April, the interns were only paid from October onwards. Justice Dhulia reiterated his stance, demanding that the college either pay the stipends or cease offering internships.
In addition, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud previously instructed the NMC to present a detailed report on the stipend situation for medical interns and the steps taken for compliance. Despite assertions from the NMC’s counsel that 17 states are complying with stipend payments, the Court has scheduled another hearing in four weeks, seeking further documentation.
The case is significant, as it also encompasses related issues, such as a petition from foreign medical graduates challenging the non-payment of stipends during their internships at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College, Vidisha. This broader context underscores the systemic challenges faced by medical interns across India in securing fair compensation during their critical training period.