Introduction:

In a recent development, the Supreme Court addressed concerns over medical colleges failing to adequately compensate MBBS interns. The court, comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prasanna B Varale, expressed discontent with colleges charging substantial fees while neglecting intern stipends. This issue emerged in writ petitions by medical students, highlighting the court’s proactive stance in ensuring fair compensation.

Arguments:

The Supreme Court, comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Prasanna B Varale, expressed dismay over complaints from MBBS interns regarding inadequate stipend payments by medical colleges. Justice Dhulia criticized colleges charging exorbitant fees yet failing to pay stipends, emphasizing that either interns should be paid or internships should not be offered. The court’s concern stemmed from earlier directives to the National Medical Commission (NMC) to address reports that 70 percent of medical colleges were not paying stipends to MBBS interns.

The Army College of Medical Sciences (ACMS) was specifically mentioned in the petitions, with the court previously directing ACMS to pay stipends to interns. Senior Advocate Colonel (Retired) R Balasubramanium, representing ACMS, clarified that the college operates independently of the government or the army and does not receive governmental aid. However, it was revealed that interns at ACMS were only paid stipends from October onwards, despite joining in April.

Court’s Judgment:

In response to the delayed payments, Justice Dhulia directed ACMS to promptly pay the interns, reiterating that stipends should be provided or internships suspended. Additionally, the court questioned the NMC’s compliance with directives to ensure stipend payments, noting discrepancies between reports of state responses and actual payments. The matter was adjourned for further submissions and tagged with similar cases, including petitions from foreign medical graduates challenging stipend non-payment.