The National Medical Commission (NMC) stands as India’s apex regulatory authority governing medical education and professional practice across the country. One of the most consequential ongoing developments in medical education regulation is the active enforcement of stipend payment rules for MBBS interns and resident doctors across all medical colleges — government, private, and deemed institutions alike. Stipends are specifically intended to recognize and compensate the extensive clinical service that interns and residents provide during their formative training years. These rules are carefully designed to ensure fair compensation, complete transparency, and institutional accountability while protecting medical trainees from any form of financial exploitation.
Despite a clear and well-established regulatory framework along with strong judicial interest and oversight, enforcement continues to remain a complex and evolving challenge. This comprehensive guide provides a thorough examination of the evolving NMC stipend rules as of 2026, the detailed legal background, stipend parity issues, regulatory mandates, reporting requirements, penalties for non-compliance, and practical implications for both students and institutions across India.
1. What Are Stipend Rules Under NMC Regulations?
Stipend rules refer to the specific regulatory provisions that legally compel medical colleges to pay a monthly stipend to MBBS interns (during the Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship or CRMI) and resident doctors (such as Junior Residents and Senior Residents). The primary aim is to fairly compensate medical trainees for their dedicated service in clinical duties, emergency care, patient management, ward rounds, and other essential hospital responsibilities throughout their internship and residency period. The stipend is not classified as a salary, but rather as a statutory entitlement embedded within the medical education regulatory framework.
Under key regulations such as the Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) Regulations, 2021 and the Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023, medical institutions are legally required to pay stipends as determined by the appropriate authority applicable to the specific state, institution, or university concerned.
2. Legal Background: Supreme Court Landmark Cases
The critical issue of stipend payment has reached the Supreme Court of India on multiple occasions, and the Court has repeatedly highlighted the fundamental importance of stipend payment and transparency in institutional disclosures:
In the landmark case Abhishek Yadav & Ors vs. Army College of Medical Sciences & Ors., the Supreme Court categorically emphasized that non-payment of stipends is not just unethical but outright unlawful. The Court directed medical colleges to strictly comply with stipend mandates and provide detailed information on all stipend payments made to trainees. The Court has also compelled the NMC to file formal compliance affidavits and comprehensive data clearly showing how many colleges pay stipends and in what specific amounts.
Despite these strong judicial directives, many institutions continue to delay compliance, and enforcement across states remains highly uneven and inconsistent.
3. Regulatory Framework Mandating Stipends
Several key regulations under the NMC form the legal backbone of stipend mandates across India:
a. CRMI Regulations, 2021 Under the Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship Regulations, stipends are explicitly required to be paid to all MBBS interns completing their mandatory training. The specific amount is fixed by the “appropriate authority” — which may be a state government, university, or institutional governing body depending on the jurisdiction.
b. PGMER, 2023 The Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023 clearly and unambiguously state that all postgraduate students — including Junior Residents and Senior Residents — must be paid stipends at par with the stipend paid in state government medical colleges located in the same state or union territory where the institution operates.
c. Fee & Stipend Disclosure Regulations NMC regulations now require all medical colleges to prominently publish their complete course-wise fee structure and full stipend details on official institutional websites and to formally submit this information to NMC through designated official forms. Non-disclosure can result in seats not being counted for counselling and other significant regulatory penalties.
4. Who Qualifies for Stipend? (Interns and Residents)
MBBS Interns (CRMI) Internship (CRMI) is a 12-month compulsory training phase that every single medical graduate must complete after their 4.5 years of academic MBBS coursework. It is an absolute requirement for NMC registration, future medical practice, and eligibility for postgraduate entrance examinations like NEET PG. The stipend during internship must be paid as mandated by applicable authorities and is typically aligned with what state government colleges offer to their own interns.
Resident Doctors (Junior and Senior Residents) Resident doctors — including Junior Residents (post-MBBS) and Senior Residents (postgraduate trainees) — are also fully entitled to receive stipends. According to PGMER 2023 (Section 5.4), all residents must be paid stipends equal to those paid to residents in government institutions in the same state or territory.
5. How Is Stipend Amount Decided?
Unlike a centrally fixed national stipend applicable uniformly across India, the NMC framework allows the stipend amount to be determined by relevant local authorities, such as:
- State governments
- Universities or state medical councils
- Institutional governing bodies
The foundational concept governing this framework is parity — private and deemed medical colleges must pay stipends that match the rates paid by state government medical colleges within the same state or union territory. For resident doctors specifically, this parity is explicitly and clearly mentioned under the PGMER 2023.
There is also a strong and growing push, including a formal directive from the Union Health Ministry, to ensure equal stipend for interns across both government and private colleges within a state. This important directive aims to amend CRMI Regulations to match the explicit wording of PGMER 2023 for enhanced consistency and fairness nationwide.
6. Transparency and Reporting Requirements
In July 2026, the NMC issued a significant public directive requiring all medical colleges to publish complete fee structures and detailed stipend information on their official institutional websites and in the annual seat matrix. This mandatory disclosure includes information covering:
- MBBS internship stipends
- Stipends for Junior Residents
- Stipends for Senior Residents
Colleges must also formally submit this comprehensive data to NMC via a designated Google Form within a clearly specified timeline. Incomplete or non-compliant disclosures may lead to immediate regulatory action and penalties.
This critical requirement aligns directly with Supreme Court directives specifically seeking to eliminate hidden charges and non-payment practices that have historically plagued India’s medical education sector.
7. Penalties for Non-Compliance
The NMC’s comprehensive regulatory framework empowers it to take firm action against institutions that fail to comply with stipend mandates or transparency requirements. Applicable penalties may include:
- Formal show-cause notices
- Financial penalties and monetary fines
- Suspension of admission seats
- Withdrawal of course recognition
- In extreme cases of repeated violations, fines of up to ₹1 crore per violation under the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023
However, enforcement has been disappointingly inconsistent in practice. Recent news reports highlight that many colleges have still not submitted stipend payment data, and the NMC has issued only nominal fines such as ₹50,000 — far lower than the maximum ceiling permitted by existing regulations.
8. Current Challenges and Enforcement Gaps
Despite strong and clearly articulated rules on paper, enforcement of stipend payment remains a persistent and major challenge across India:
a. Non-Compliance by Colleges Hundreds of medical colleges across India, particularly private institutions, either do not pay stipends at all or pay very low amounts, far below what comparable government colleges provide. A significant number of institutions have still not submitted required data to the NMC.
b. Weak Enforcement Actions Critics and legal experts argue that the NMC’s actions — such as setting disproportionately low penalties — fail to enforce compliance in any meaningful way. Although the law clearly permits high fines and suspension of admission seats, such stringent penalties are rarely applied in practice.
c. Supreme Court Criticism The Supreme Court has strongly and repeatedly criticized the NMC for failing to enforce stipend rules effectively. The Court has demanded comprehensive data submissions and detailed action plans from the Commission to address this widespread non-compliance.
9. Interns’ Rights: Fees vs. Intern Stipends
Medical colleges must not charge illegal internship fees or require students to financially contribute for completing training that forms part of the compulsory internship program. The Supreme Court has clearly ruled that charging internship fees is contrary to fair educational practice, and that stipend non-payment is entirely unlawful.
Additionally, a Kerala High Court ruling held that internship fee orders were legally invalid, reiterating that NMC policy expressly forbids such fees while simultaneously guaranteeing stipends for all qualifying interns.
10. Exceptions and Leave-Related Rules
According to available regulatory interpretations and established institutional practices:
- Stipends are paid only for the official 52-week internship duration
- Maternity and medical leave may be recognized exceptions where stipend continues to be paid
- Unapproved extended internship periods beyond 52 weeks generally do not attract additional stipend entitlement unless specific regulatory conditions are satisfactorily met
11. Why Stipend Parity Matters
Stipend parity matters deeply for several important and interconnected reasons:
- Ensures genuine financial stability for trainees engaged in demanding round-the-clock clinical work
- Actively prevents exploitation by private, deemed, or niche institutes seeking to benefit from unpaid trainee labor
- Meaningfully reduces disparity in living standards and working conditions for interns and residents
- Significantly improves overall morale, mental well-being, and academic focus among medical trainees
The Health Ministry’s active push to formally amend CRMI Regulations for uniform stipend payment across all institutions clearly reflects the underlying national need for justice, dignity, and equality in medical training conditions across India.
12. Practical Implications for Students and Institutions
For MBBS Students and Interns
- Always carefully verify and check stipend details published on the medical college website before confirming admission
- Maintain a thorough personal record of all stipend payments received and verify they match applicable state government rates
- Formally report any discrepancies or non-payment to NMC, relevant state authorities, or appropriate legal bodies
For Resident Doctors
- Verify stipend parity, particularly when joining a private or deemed institute
- Pay close attention to the specific PGMER 2023 provisions guaranteeing parity with government institution stipends
For Medical Colleges
- Ensure fully transparent and timely disclosure of complete fee and stipend information as mandated by NMC
- Prepare and maintain comprehensive monthly and annual stipend payment reports
- Strict compliance helps institutions avoid serious regulatory consequences, including seat suspension, financial penalties, or derecognition
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What are the NMC stipend rules for 2026?
The NMC stipend rules for 2026 mandate that all medical colleges in India — including government, private, and deemed universities — must pay monthly stipends to MBBS interns and resident doctors. These rules are framed under the Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship (CRMI) Regulations, 2021, and the Postgraduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023. The core objective is to ensure fair and timely compensation for the extensive clinical services provided by medical trainees throughout their training period. Medical colleges are additionally required to publicly disclose all stipend details and follow the principle of parity with state government rates wherever applicable. Colleges that fail to comply with these rules face regulatory penalties including show-cause notices, financial fines, suspension of admissions, and in severe cases, withdrawal of institutional recognition.
2. Is stipend compulsory for MBBS interns under NMC rules?
Yes, stipend payment is absolutely compulsory for all MBBS interns under the NMC regulatory framework. The CRMI Regulations, 2021, explicitly mandate that every medical college must pay a monthly stipend to MBBS interns during their 12-month Compulsory Rotatory Medical Internship. This applies regardless of whether the institution is government-run, private, or a deemed university. The Supreme Court of India has also reinforced this obligation in multiple judgments, clearly stating that non-payment of internship stipends is not merely unethical but legally unlawful. Any college failing to pay the stipend is liable to face regulatory action from the NMC, and interns can formally report non-compliance to the NMC or state medical authorities.
3. Are private medical colleges required to pay stipends?
Yes, private medical colleges are fully and unequivocally required to pay stipends to both MBBS interns and resident doctors under the NMC regulations. There is no exemption or waiver available for private or deemed institutions. Furthermore, the NMC framework requires that private colleges pay stipends that are at par with — meaning equal to — what state government medical colleges pay to their interns and residents in the same state or union territory. This principle of parity is explicitly stated under PGMER 2023 for resident doctors and is being actively extended to cover MBBS interns as well through ongoing amendments. Failure to comply exposes private colleges to serious regulatory consequences.
4. How is the stipend amount decided for interns and residents?
The stipend amount for MBBS interns and resident doctors is not fixed at a single national rate by the NMC. Instead, the regulatory framework follows a parity-based model where the stipend amount is determined at the state or institutional level. The key deciding authorities include state governments, universities, state medical councils, and institutional governing bodies. The fundamental principle is that private and deemed medical colleges must pay stipends matching those offered by state government medical colleges in the same state or territory. For postgraduate residents, PGMER 2023 explicitly mandates this parity. The Union Health Ministry is also working on amending the CRMI Regulations to bring the same explicit parity requirement to MBBS interns, ensuring consistent and fair compensation across all types of medical institutions.
5. What happens if a medical college does not pay stipend?
If a medical college fails to pay the mandated stipend to MBBS interns or resident doctors, the NMC can initiate a range of regulatory actions against the institution. These include issuing formal show-cause notices, imposing financial penalties, suspending admission seats for subsequent batches, withdrawing course recognition, and levying fines of up to ₹1 crore per violation under the Maintenance of Standards of Medical Education Regulations, 2023. Interns and residents who are not receiving their stipend have the right to formally report non-compliance to the NMC, the state medical council, or relevant state health authorities. The Supreme Court of India has also been actively monitoring compliance and has directed the NMC to take stringent action against defaulting institutions. Affected trainees may also approach the High Court or Supreme Court for appropriate legal relief.
6. Do resident doctors also come under NMC stipend rules?
Yes, resident doctors — including both Junior Residents and Senior Residents — are fully covered under NMC stipend rules. The Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER) 2023, particularly Section 5.4, explicitly mandate that all postgraduate students and residents must receive stipends equal to those paid by government medical colleges in their respective state or union territory. This applies to residents working in private, deemed, and government institutions. Resident doctors who are denied their entitled stipend, or who receive amounts significantly lower than government institution rates, can formally lodge complaints with the NMC, approach the relevant state health department, or seek legal recourse through appropriate judicial channels.
7. Are medical colleges required to disclose stipend details publicly?
Yes, public disclosure of stipend details is a mandatory regulatory requirement for all medical colleges under the NMC framework. Following a significant directive issued in July 2026, all medical colleges are required to publish complete fee structures along with detailed stipend information — covering MBBS internship stipends, Junior Resident stipends, and Senior Resident stipends — on their official institutional websites and in the annual seat matrix shared with counselling authorities. Additionally, colleges must formally submit this data to the NMC through a designated online form within a specified deadline. Failure to disclose this information or submitting incomplete data may result in regulatory penalties, including the possibility of seats not being counted for national counselling purposes.
8. Can a college charge internship fees instead of paying stipend?
No, charging internship fees from MBBS interns in lieu of or alongside the stipend is expressly prohibited under NMC guidelines and has been specifically ruled against by both the Supreme Court and various High Courts. Medical colleges cannot legally charge students any form of internship fee for the clinical training they undergo during the compulsory rotatory medical internship, as this training is a mandatory regulatory requirement for degree completion and NMC registration. The Kerala High Court specifically struck down internship fee orders, reaffirming that NMC policy categorically forbids such charges. Any college demanding internship fees from interns is violating the regulatory framework and can be reported to the NMC or relevant authorities for immediate action.
9. Does stipend continue during leave or extended internship?
Based on available regulatory interpretations and institutional norms, stipend payment during leave periods and extended internship depends on the specific nature and reason for the absence. Stipends are generally paid for the official 52-week duration of the CRMI. For medically recognized leave situations such as maternity leave or certified medical leave, stipend payment is typically expected to continue as these are recognized statutory entitlements. However, if an intern’s training period extends beyond the official 52 weeks due to unapproved absence, non-compliance, or other non-medical reasons, the extended period generally does not automatically attract additional stipend entitlement unless specific regulatory conditions are formally met and approved by the relevant authority. Interns are advised to clarify these provisions with their institution or state medical council.
10. Why are NMC stipend rules important for medical students?
NMC stipend rules are critically important for medical students and trainees for multiple compelling reasons. First, they provide essential financial support to interns and residents who dedicate long hours to demanding clinical work, often in high-pressure hospital environments, while still technically being in a training phase. Second, these rules legally protect trainees from institutional exploitation — ensuring that medical colleges cannot benefit from unpaid or underpaid trainee labor. Third, stipend parity rules help reduce the significant financial disparity that can exist between government and private institution trainees doing the same work. Fourth, adherence to these rules supports the mental well-being, morale, and academic focus of medical trainees who are under considerable personal and professional pressure. Finally, understanding these rules empowers students to recognize and assert their legal rights, report violations, and access appropriate remedies when institutions fail to meet their regulatory obligations.
Conclusion
The NMC stipend rules as of 2026 reflect a critically important and evolving regulatory push to ensure fair compensation, institutional accountability, and genuine transparency within India’s vast medical education system. Although substantial regulatory backing and strong judicial oversight from the Supreme Court now exist, actual compliance and effective enforcement across all institutions remain ongoing works in progress requiring continued attention.
MBBS interns, Junior Residents, and Senior Residents are all legally entitled to stipends, and medical colleges — whether government, private, or deemed — must fully adhere to these binding regulatory obligations without exception. With continuing Supreme Court monitoring and fresh progressive directives from the Union Health Ministry, it is highly likely that stipend parity and effective enforcement mechanisms will grow considerably stronger and more consistent in the coming years. For medical students and professional doctors in training across India, thoroughly understanding these rules is essential to protecting their fundamental rights and ensuring dignity in the vital and demanding work they perform every single day.
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