On Monday, October 30, the Supreme Court resumed hearing on the plea regarding non-payment of stipends to MBBS interns by medical colleges.
The apex court instructed the petitioners' counsel to provide a fresh copy to the Advocate-on-record in the case concerning the non-payment of MBBS internship stipends at the Army College of Medical Sciences (ACMS) in New Delhi. Advocate Tanvi Dubey, representing the petitioners, noted the absence of the Delhi State's counsel but appreciated the court's attention to the matter.
The advocate, speaking to EdexLive, stated, "The court has directed the state to determine the amount owed to the previous batch." The court had also directed that the payment of stipends should commence from October 1, 2023
To recall, the bench, with Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, is hearing a plea filed by MBBS graduates from ACMS. Dr Abhishek Yadav and Dr Dheeraj Mahla, former students of ACMS, filed the petition with the assistance of Advocate Tanvi Dubey and Advocate Charu Mathur. These students began their internship on April 1, 2022, but claimed they had not received their stipends. They mentioned sending letters to various authorities, including the National Medical Commission (NMC), the Delhi Government, former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, and the Army Welfare Education Society (AWES).
Advocate Dubey also stated their intention to seek stipend payments from March instead of October, emphasising the significance of the issue and its widespread occurrence in many colleges. She called for the NMC to establish strict guidelines for stipend payments by government and private medical colleges, with vigilant enforcement. Echoing the CJI's remark she further added that this should not resemble "bonded labour."
According to LiveLaw.in, a copy of the petition has been served to the counsel of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), and an email will be forwarded to ensure their appearance in court. The tentative date for the next hearing is November 6.