• Supreme Court orders equal stipend to medical students from other countries

    Education
    Supreme Court orders equal stipend to medical students from other countries
    This ruling comes after the Supreme Court had earlier sought responses from the NMC and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College...

    Digital Desk: In a milestone declaration addressing concerns raised by foreign medical graduates, the Supreme Court of India has emphasized the necessity of providing internship stipends to these students, ensuring they are treated equally alongside their Indian counterparts.

    During a recent hearing prompted by a petition filed by a group of doctors, a two-judge bench reiterated the obligation of medical colleges to extend stipends to foreign medical graduates during their internships.

    The bench specifically directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to furnish details on stipend payments at three specified colleges: Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College in Vidisha, Dr Laxminarayan Pandey Government Medical College in Ratlam, and Employees State Insurance Corporation Medical College in Alwar.

    The court's ruling underscored the critical importance of stipend payments and cautioned colleges against non-compliance, emphasizing that differentiation between MBBS and foreign medical graduates is impermissible.

    This ruling comes after the Supreme Court had earlier sought responses from the NMC and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College following a petition filed by five foreign medical graduates on January 23.

    Furthermore, the court emphasized that the NMC and related authorities must ensure that foreign medical graduates receive stipends for the entire duration of their internships, aligning with norms observed by other medical colleges.

    This ruling marks a significant step towards ensuring equality and fairness for foreign medical graduates undergoing internships in India, reaffirming the country's commitment to providing a conducive learning environment for medical professionals from all backgrounds.