New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) of India has intervened to ensure that MBBS interns at a prominent private medical college in Delhi will receive stipends equal to those offered to their counterparts in government medical colleges. According to the interim order issued by the SC on September 15, 2023, interns must be paid a stipend during their internship, and these regulations set by the NMC should not be violated.

The SC`s intervention came after an MBBS intern at the Army College of Medical Sciences filed a complaint revealing that none of the 100 MBBS interns received any stipend. The SC directive ordered the Army College of Medical Sciences to pay a stipend of ₹25,000 per month to the current batch of interns starting from October 1, 2023, with continued monthly disbursements.

Additionally, the court cited stipend amounts paid at various medical colleges to justify its decision, such as ₹27,000 at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (a government institution), ₹25,000 at the Babasaheb Ambedkar Medical College (a private college), and ₹24,000 at the NDMC Medical College (a government medical college). They also requested that the NMC provide a tabulated chart and explain the steps to ensure compliance with internship stipend norms.

In response, the Army College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, filed an affidavit on October 16, stating that it had disbursed ₹25,000 each as a stipend to all 105 students on September 30, 2023. The institution also pledged to continue these monthly stipend payments henceforth.

The unequal stipends for medical students in government and private medical colleges have been contentious for years. Despite pressure from students and activists advocating for parity in stipends for PG medics and MBBS interns, neither the former Medical Council of India (MCI) nor the current National Medical Commission (NMC) has provided clear directives to private medical colleges regarding mandatory stipend payments.

 (Source:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/stipend-issue-sc-intervention-gives-mbbs-interns-a-fair-deal/article67445645.ece )