Kamal Ghorui
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a clarification directing all medical colleges and institutions to charge MBBS fees strictly for the prescribed academic duration of 4.5 years, and not for the entire 5 or 5.5 years of the programme.The directive follows complaints that several institutions were collecting fees for the full course duration, including the internship period, despite it not involving formal academic instruction.
Fee cannot be charged for internship period
The Commission reiterated that the MBBS programme consists of 4.5 years (54 months) of academic study, followed by a one-year compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI). Since the internship does not constitute classroom-based teaching, charging fees for this period is inconsistent with the prescribed academic structure.The NMC noted that such practices impose an unnecessary financial burden on students and do not align with the regulatory framework laid out under the NMC Act, 2019 and the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024.Check official notice issued by NMC here.
Supreme Court observations cited
In its notice, the Commission referred to interim directions in Abhishek Yadav v. Union of India, where concerns around non-payment of internship stipends and the imposition of internship-related charges were taken seriously.It also cited landmark judgments such as T.M.A. Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka, Islamic Academy of Education v. State of Karnataka, and P. A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra to underline that fee structures must remain reasonable, transparent, and non-exploitative, and must correspond to the academic services actually provided.
Strict compliance mandated
The NMC has instructed all medical colleges and universities to strictly adhere to the statutory provisions and applicable regulations. It has made it clear that fees must only be levied for the 4.5-year academic period and not beyond.Any instance of non-compliance, the Commission warned, will be viewed seriously, with appropriate action initiated under the existing regulatory framework.
What this means for students
For students, the clarification brings much-needed relief, as it clearly establishes that no fees should be charged for the internship year. It also provides a stronger legal basis for students to question or challenge any excess fee demands by institutions.
