NMC admits stipend inequality exists for interns

AFTER five years, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has finally agreed that there is no stipend parity for undergraduate medical interns, whether they are studying in government or private medical colleges.

- KAVITA BAJELI-DATT @ New Delhi

This follows the Union Health Ministry directions, not once but twice last year.

Finally, responding to the ministry, the NMC on February 18 said, "Any amendment to the CRMI Regulations, 2021, if required, would need consideration in accordance with the statutory process and after due consultation with all concerned authorities." While the government medical colleges pay interns between ₹20,000 and ₹30,000, private colleges either pay half of that or none at all.

Data from NMC in 2025 showed that 60 of 555 medical colleges were not paying stipends, and many were paying nominal stipends of less than ₹5,000 per month.