Centre reviews MBBS internship stipend hike after four years

The Centre is reviewing a potential hike in MBBS internship stipends after a gap of over four years, breaking the biennial revision cycle followed earlier. According to a reply from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to an RTI query, the proposal is currently under active consideration and undergoing administrative examination. If approved, thousands of medical interns in central <a href="/en/article/haryana-sets-15-day-deadline-for-arms-licence-renewals-and-instant-fir-copies" class="nd-inline-link"></a><a href="/en/article/karnatakas-irrigation-projects-in-crisis-due-to-&lt;a href=" class="nd-inline-link"></a><a href="/en/article/government-approves-8-25-epf-interest-rate-for-2025-26" class="nd-inline-link">government</a>-inaction" class="nd-inline-link"&gt;government colleges and AIIMS institutions stand to benefit.

Health Ministry records show that the stipend for MBBS interns was last revised on January 1, 2022, when it was increased to ₹30,070 per month. Prior to that, the stipend was raised from ₹23,500 to ₹26,300 in January 2020, and from ₹26,300 to ₹30,070 in 2022, adhering to a two-year revision cycle. However, no updates have been announced since 2022, marking the first deviation from this pattern in six years.

In its RTI response dated June 15, the Health Ministry confirmed that the matter is under review. "The matter involves a policy decision and is presently under consideration within the ministry. The proposal is under review, vetting and administrative examination by the competent authorities," the reply stated.

The delay in stipend revision has sparked concern among medical interns, many of whom rely on these payments to cover living expenses during their mandatory internship year. A hike, if approved, would provide much-needed financial relief and could potentially set a precedent for more regular revisions in the future.

The proposal remains under scrutiny, and no timeline has been provided for its finalization. Medical professionals and students are closely watching the developments, hoping for a positive outcome that addresses their long-pending demands.