NMC Imposes Hefty Fines on Seven Medical Colleges Over Stipend Transparency Failures
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has taken stringent action against seven medical colleges across India, imposing a substantial penalty of Rs 1 crore each. This decisive move comes as a response to the institutions' failure to publicly disclose details regarding stipend payments to MBBS interns and postgraduate medical residents on their official websites.
List of Penalized Institutions
The colleges facing this significant financial penalty include the prominent Pt BD Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) located in Rohtak, Haryana. In addition to PGIMS Rohtak, the other six medical colleges are situated in diverse states across the country:
- Karnataka
- Jharkhand
- Rajasthan
- Andhra Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Uttar Pradesh
Background and Regulatory Directives
According to an official notice issued by the NMC's Under-Graduate Medical Education Board on March 12, 2026, this action was initiated after the colleges repeatedly ignored reminders to furnish the required stipend information. The commission had originally issued directives in July 2025, mandating all medical colleges and institutions to publicly disclose the stipend amounts being paid to MBBS interns and postgraduate medical residents. This measure was implemented to ensure transparency and uniformity in payments across the medical education sector.
However, a thorough review of the data submitted by various institutions revealed that several colleges had not complied with this critical directive. The NMC's notice explicitly stated, "After due examination of the data received, it was concluded that there are seven medical colleges which have not furnished the required information regarding payment of stipend to medical interns, despite repeated reminders."
Legal Violations and Penalty Justification
The commission emphasized that the failure to disclose stipend information constitutes a clear violation of provisions under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, as well as other related regulations governing medical education in India. In accordance with these regulatory provisions, the NMC imposed the Rs 1 crore penalty on each defaulting college. The notice further warned that continued non-compliance with the stipend payment and disclosure mandate could lead to even stricter regulatory actions. Potential consequences may include restrictions on admissions, suspension of permissions, or other disciplinary measures against the institutions.
Response from PGIMS Rohtak
Professor SK Singhal, the Director of PGIMS Rohtak, provided a statement to The Tribune regarding the situation. He mentioned that the institute had seen the order on the NMC website but had not yet received any official communication from the commission. "We comply with all directions issued by the NMC. However, we are trying to ascertain the reason behind the action. Directions have been issued to the officials concerned in this respect," he stated, indicating the institute's intent to address the issue promptly.
This enforcement action by the NMC underscores the commission's commitment to upholding transparency and accountability in medical education, ensuring that interns and residents receive fair and disclosed stipend payments as per regulatory standards.
