The NMC has issued new guidelines for resolving grievances related to unpaid stipends for medical interns and PG students, urging colleges and states to take action.
Faced with a growing number of complaints from medical students, interns, postgraduate (PG) trainees, and concerned parents, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a fresh advisory on how such issues should be handled. The NMC, India’s top regulatory authority for medical education, has made it clear that academic and clinical training-related grievances—especially issues like unpaid stipends—should first be dealt with at the institutional level.
According to the advisory dated July 8, students must follow a three-tier process to get their grievances resolved. First, they should raise the issue with their college. If the problem remains unresolved, it should be taken up with the university to which the college is affiliated. If both these levels fail to provide a solution, then the matter should be escalated to the concerned State or Union Territory’s Directorate of Medical Education or the Health and Medical Education Department. Only after exhausting these avenues should students approach the NMC.
This is the first time that the NMC has outlined a clear, step-by-step grievance redressal mechanism, aiming to decentralize and streamline the resolution process. The advisory comes amid increasing unrest among medical trainees, most notably highlighted by a recent incident in Telangana. At the Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences (CAIMS), a private college, 64 MBBS interns were suspended for a week after protesting against the non-payment of stipends—stipends that are mandated by the government.
The issue of unpaid or underpaid stipends has become a major point of contention across the country. Resident doctors’ associations and student unions have repeatedly raised this concern, highlighting the failure of many institutions—both public and private—to pay the mandated stipend amounts. According to data cited by the NMC itself, 60 medical colleges, including 33 government-run and 27 private institutions, have not paid stipends at all. Another 50 colleges are paying stipends far below the acceptable level—some as low as ₹2,000 per month, and most under ₹5,000.
This chronic underpayment has raised alarms among healthcare education advocates. Dr. K. V. Babu, a well-known RTI activist who has been closely tracking the stipend issue, criticized the NMC’s latest advisory. He argued that by directing students to approach colleges, universities, and state bodies first, the NMC is deflecting its own responsibility. “Internships last for only 12 months. By the time a student goes through all these steps, their internship period will be over,” Dr. Babu said.
He further pointed out that the NMC already possesses detailed data on the stipend practices of various colleges. In fact, in the previous year, the Commission had sent show-cause notices to 198 medical colleges for failing to provide information about stipend disbursals and warned of possible penalties. However, no punitive action has been taken so far.
Dr. Babu emphasized that the NMC has the authority to enforce the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations (MSEME), under which it can penalize colleges that fail to meet basic standards—including the fair and timely payment of stipends.
For thousands of interns and PG students across the country, stipend payments are not just a financial necessity but also a matter of dignity. Many trainees work long hours in hospitals, providing critical services while simultaneously learning on the job. For them, the lack of financial support adds another layer of stress to an already demanding profession.
While the NMC’s advisory offers a clearer process for grievance redressal, critics argue that without actual enforcement or penalties, the move may fall short of solving the real problem. With unrest brewing in multiple medical colleges and student unions continuing to raise their voices, the pressure is now on the NMC, colleges, and state bodies to move from guidelines to concrete action.
Also Read: Better funds, brighter futures, as NEP drives change through Varanasi’s PM SHRI schools
XAT 2026 Applications Open July 10: Early Birds to Receive Exclusive Mentorship