The Supreme Court is set to hear in July the plea challenging the non-payment of stipends to medical interns pursuing their MBBS. The counsel for the petitioners raised this issue before the bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih, urging an urgent hearing as the interns were reportedly not receiving any stipends.
“The stipend of medical students is not being given; that matter was to be listed before Justice Dhulia on May 19, but it didn’t come. Students are getting zero stipend,” the counsel stated.
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The plea is currently listed before the bench headed by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia. The CJI assured the matter would be heard in July during partial working days when Justice Dhulia's bench presides.
The conversation in court included:
CJI: “When is he supposed to sit in vacation?”
Advocate: “July.”
CJI: “Then we will list it before him.”
In addition, the counsel mentioned another plea related to the challenge against the National Board of Examinations (NBE) decision to conduct NEET PG 2025 in two shifts.
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The NBE’s two-shift policy for NEET PG 2025 has come under scrutiny, with candidates highlighting the risk of unfairness due to differences in difficulty levels across shifts. The petitioners requested the Supreme Court to direct NBE to conduct NEET PG 2025 in a single shift, ensuring a “just, fair, reasonable, and equitable” competition for all aspirants.
The plea pointed out the likelihood that one batch may face a tougher paper than the other, as allegedly occurred in NEET PG 2024, where claims were made that the second shift’s paper was easier. Thus, petitioners have prayed for NEET PG 2025 to be held in a single shift.
On May 23, the Supreme Court had agreed to list this plea for an urgent hearing in the last week of May, based on the candidates' request.
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In April 2024, the Court issued a clear directive to the National Medical Commission (NMC) to provide details about stipend payments across medical colleges in all States. The Court noted that the NMC had not submitted complete details, despite an earlier directive given on September 15, 2023.
In the September 15, 2023 direction, the Court instructed the NMC to submit a detailed table showing:
- Whether 70% of medical colleges in India do not pay stipends to interns or pay less than the minimum stipend;
- The steps taken by the NMC to ensure all colleges comply with the norm of paying internship stipends.
Furthermore, the bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice K Vinod Chandran is also considering a plea filed by foreign medical graduates (FMGs) interning at Indian hospitals and medical institutions. This plea challenges the non-payment of stipends to FMGs during their internships.
“The matter of stipend payment is significant for medical interns, and the Court is taking these concerns seriously,” a source close to the matter said.
The Supreme Court’s hearing in July is expected to address these key issues affecting both MBBS interns and NEET PG aspirants.
