Non-payment of stipend to Gujarat FMGs- Supreme Court issues notice
Supreme Court of India
New Delhi: The Supreme Court today issued notice in a plea raising the issue of non-payment of stipend to foreign medical graduates in the State of Gujarat.
Filed by the All India Parents Association Belarus Medical Students, the plea highlighted the issue of disparity in the payment of stipend to Indian Medical Graduates and Foreign Medical Graduates.
As per the latest media report by Live Law, the plea mentioned that despite many circulars issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC), the FMGs are not receiving a stipend. It also pointed out that the provision of a stipend is governed under Clause 3 (Schedule IV) of the National Medical Commission (Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship) Regulations, 2021.
Clause 3, Schedule IV of the 2021 regulations states, "3. Stipend a) All interns shall be paid stipend as fixed by the appropriate authority applicable to the institution/ University or State. (b) Stipend may not be paid during any period of extension except in the case of maternity or paternity leave or medical leave, as may be recommended and approved by the Medical Board. Total stipend paid for the entire internship may be for fifty-two weeks (Twelve months) only."
The Apex Court bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice PB Varale took note of the submissions and issued notice in the matter. The court has also tagged the matter with a batch of matters concerning non-payment of stipend to Foreign Medical Graduates. The petitioner doctors were represented through Advocate Tanvi Dubey.
The top court bench comprising Justice Kumar has also been hearing a batch of pleas, in which MBBS interns, both Indian and FMGs, have raised the issue of non-payment of stipends during the internships.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that after the issue of non-payment of stipend to MBBS interns was raised before the Supreme Court, back in 2023, the top court bench had directed the National Medical Commission's counsel Advocate Gaurav Sharma to respond to the claim and file an affidavit.
Earlier this year, on July 11th, NMC issued a circular directing all colleges to provide the details in respect to how much stipend they were paying or not paying.
On October 28, noting that NMC failed to comply with its own directive issued in July 2025 requiring all medical colleges to mandatorily disclose stipend details, the top court bench slammed the Commission and asked to file a compliance affidavit in this regard.
