NATIONAL MEDICAL COUNCIL: Private medical colleges in India save crores of rupees by not paying stipends. They are either not paying or paying much lower than what government colleges pay. The National Medical Council (NMC) has been ineffective in enforcing standards.
Many private medical colleges fail to provide information on the stipend paid to MBBS interns. Despite initially warning of action, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has now shifted responsibility to state authorities.
Join NEET News 2025 Thousands of final-year MBBS students working in clinical settings receive stipends lower than the national minimum wage of ₹5,300 per month. Data submitted to the Supreme Court reveals that 20 private colleges pay ₹5,000 or less, while some do not provide any stipend. Although NMC has been aware of this issue since July last year, no action has been taken against these colleges.
Stipend for interns
Medical universities decide on the stipend for MBBS students based on NMC regulations. Renowned institutions like AIIMS pay their interns around INR 30,000 per month as an MBBS internship salary in India. However, the actual stipend varies depending on the college and state guidelines.
MBBS graduates working in top private or government hospitals under NMC supervision receive higher salaries. In contrast, interns in tier 2 and tier 3 cities earn lower stipends. Additionally, an intern’s merit plays a crucial role in determining their placement and salary during the internship.
According to the NMC’s PG Medical Education Regulation 2023, private colleges must pay interns a stipend equivalent to what government medical colleges in the same state offer to resident doctors. However, the 2021 Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship Regulations lack clarity on the exact stipend amount. It states it should be determined by the respective institution, university, or state authority. Taking advantage of this loophole, many private medical colleges continue to pay interns meager amounts or nothing at all.
