Foreign Medical Graduates Complain Of Non-Payment Of Stipend; Supreme Court Seeks Union, NMC Response

The Supreme Court today issued notice on two writ petitions filed by Foreign Medical Graduates from eight medical colleges in Rajasthan and the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi complaining of non-payment of stipend.

A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Vishwanathan issued notice to the National Medical Commission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Director General of Health Services and the respective medical colleges.

The petitioners contended that the non-payment of the stipend was a violation of their fundamental rights. They also submitted that there should be no discrimination between Indian medical graduates and foreign medical graduates.

The petitioners relied on the circulars issued by the NMC on 4th March 2022 and 19th May 2022 which specify that foreign medical graduates should be paid a stipend equivalent to their Indian counterparts.

They also pointed out that Foreign Medical Graduates are getting stipends in other states. Reference was also made to the Supreme Court orders passed in the case Abhishek Yadav v. Army Medical College and others regarding the payment of stipend to MBBS interns.

Advocates Tanvi Dubey and Charu Mathur AOR represented the petitioners.

Case:  Mona Priyedarshini and others v National Medical Commission and others| W.P.(C) No. 000349 / 2024 and connected case