The Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Puducherry, has directed the seven private medical colleges and deemed medical universities in the Union Territory (UT) to provide stipend to undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical students at par with state-run colleges in the UT from the year 2023-2024.

As per the orders issued by the Director of Health and Family Welfare (Incharge) Dr S Sevvel on Wednesday (September 4), undergraduate medical students during their internship need to be provided Rs 20,000 per month.

For postgraduate medical students, Rs 43,000 is the stipend for first year, Rs 45,000 for second year and Rs 47,000 for third year, as fixed by the government, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

The private medical colleges have been directed to upload the order on the website of their respective medical colleges and on the notice board for atleast 31 days, so that the students are aware of the stipend rates fixed by the Government of Puducherry, said Dr Sevvel.

The medical colleges have also been directed to submit the details of the stipend paid to the PG medical students and undergraduate interns along with necessary proof for the years 2023-2024.

This order follows a circular issued by National Medical Commission in 2022 which found that a few medical colleges/institutes across the country are charging internship fees from the interns, Indian and Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) for pursuing their internship in their college/institutes and also not paying stipend to them.