Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore each on seven medical colleges across the country for failing to disclose the stipend paid to MBBS interns and postgraduate medical residents despite repeated directions.The action follows non-compliance with an earlier directive requiring all medical institutions to publicly disclose stipend details on their official websites and ensure transparency in payment to interns and residents.The penalised institutions include Akash Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Devanahalli in Karnataka; Dumka Medical College in Jharkhand; Government Medical College, Barmer in Rajasthan; Government Medical College, Ongole in Andhra Pradesh; RKDF Medical College Hospital & Research Centre in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh; Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; and Pt. B.D. Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak, Haryana.According to a notice issued by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the NMC, several institutions failed to furnish the required information despite being given sufficient time and reminders. The commission said such failure amounts to violation of regulatory obligations under the National Medical Commission Act and relevant medical education regulations.The directive was issued in compliance with court orders mandating transparency in payment of stipends to medical interns and resident doctors. The NMC said the continued non-compliance was a serious breach, particularly in light of Supreme Court directions requiring payment of stipends to trainees.The regulator has warned that continued violations may attract further disciplinary action, including restrictions on admissions, suspension of permissions or other regulatory measures against the defaulting colleges.The commission had earlier directed medical colleges to disclose stipend details on their websites to ensure transparency and uniformity in payments to interns and residents. Failure to comply with the mandate, the NMC said, would attract regulatory and penal action under the applicable medical education regulations.
