‘Changes in stipend payment for medical interns may require further talks’

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The Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has said that immoderate changes successful the regulations connected stipend outgo for aesculapian interns whitethorn necessitate further discussions successful enactment with the statutory process.

The remark assumes value against the backdrop of the alleged disparity successful outgo of stipend to aesculapian interns successful authorities and backstage aesculapian colleges crossed the country. Public wellness activists and students’ unions person been claiming that the interns successful backstage aesculapian colleges are paid little compared with their counterparts successful authorities aesculapian colleges.

The remarks by Ram Pratap, Director, UGMEB, made connected February 18, were successful effect to a missive by Kannur-based ophthalmologist and RTI activistic K.V. Babu to the Union Health Minister highlighting the “discriminatory clauses” related to stipend outgo successful the Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Regulations, 2021. Mr. Pratap told the Medical Education (Policy) [MEP] helping of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that the proviso connected stipend successful the regulations says that each interns shall beryllium paid stipend “as fixed by the due authorization applicable to the institution/ assemblage oregon State”. Also, the stipend whitethorn not beryllium paid during immoderate play of hold but successful the lawsuit of maternity oregon paternity permission oregon aesculapian leave, arsenic whitethorn beryllium recommended and approved by the aesculapian board. Total stipend paid for the full internship whitethorn beryllium for 52 weeks (12 months) only.

However, Mr. Pratap besides says that the existent implementation, including the complaint of stipend, is undertaken by the respective States/Union Territories successful accordance with their fiscal capableness and budgetary provisions. The regulations person been notified aft deliberations with the acrophobic authorities, experts, and competent authorities assigned astatine the clip of their formulation. Mr. Pratap points retired that successful presumption of this, immoderate amendment to the regulations, if required, would “need information successful accordance with the statutory process” and “after owed consultation with each acrophobic authorities”.

Dr. Babu told The Hindu that erstwhile the draught regulations were enactment successful the nationalist domain successful 2021, helium had informed the UGMEB that they were “very vague” and would springiness ample accidental for backstage aesculapian assemblage managements to contradict stipend to the MBBS interns. “Unfortunately, the UGMEB gazetted the draught regulations without incorporating my comments, though they were the lone effect submitted connected the issue. Now, the MEP besides agrees with my constituent that the contiguous regulations are discriminatory. It is for the UGMEB to amend them to debar the continued exploitation of the interns,” helium added.

Published - February 21, 2026 09:32 p.m. IST

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