Mumbai: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has issued a bailable warrant of Rs 10 against the Chairman of the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA) for failing to appear in court despite being served notice. The court has now directed the chairman to be present at the next hearing on March 13.
The case, filed by Dr Sachin Pawade and other petitioners, exposes the glaring disparity in stipends for medical interns at government and private institutions. According to the Government Resolution of February 27 last year, interns in government-aided institutions in Maharashtra receive a stipend of Rs 18,000 per month, whereas those in private unaided institutions receive a meagre Rs 4,000 per month. The petitioners are demanding uniform pay for all medical interns, irrespective of the institution they are affiliated with.
Despite the mandate that stipends must be paid as per the regulations, private medical colleges continue to flout these norms with impunity. The High Court had sought a response from FRA, which is responsible for determining stipends in private institutions. However, as no representative from FRA appeared in court, Justices Avinash G. Gharote and Abhay J. Mantri ordered the bailable warrant to ensure the chairman's presence at the next hearing.
During the proceedings, Advocate Rahul Bhangde, representing the state government, sought additional time to present arguments. Other key respondents in the case include the Secretary of the Medical Education and Drugs Department, the National Medical Commission (NMC) (Policy and Coordination Division), and the Directorate of Medical Education and Research through its Director (Education), Mumbai.
Brijesh Sutaria, a Mumbai-based medical education activist, condemned the repeated violations by private medical colleges, stating, "This long-pending issue raises serious questions about why private medical colleges are repeatedly allowed to violate regulations set by the apex bodies. Despite clear compliance rules, students are forced to approach the courts time and again to claim their rightful stipends."
Sudha Shenoy, a parent representative, also criticised the lack of action by the NMC. "Even the Supreme Court has asked the NMC about steps being taken to reduce the discrepancies in pay between government and private colleges. The lack of action proves that the NMC is an inefficient body. Students continuously raise concerns about their stipends, but the NMC remains unresponsive. An inefficient body is governing the entire medical education system in the country,” she said.
Shenoy further proposed a solution to ensure fair pay, stating, "The NMC should implement a regulation requiring private colleges to pay internship stipends to the commission, which would then distribute the funds to interns. This way, colleges would be forced to pay adequate fees.
Shenoy also called on the medical body to establish a uniform rule across all states. “In Maharashtra, interns at government-run colleges receive Rs 18,000, whereas in Karnataka, government medical interns are paid Rs 30,000. The commission must also introduce a minimum wage for medical interns. Even blue-collar workers are protected under the Minimum Wage Act, so why can’t the NMC ensure a fair stipend for budding doctors,” she asked.
This development comes at a time of significant changes within the FRA. IAS Arjun Chikhale, who was serving as the Member Secretary of the Vidarbha Statutory Development Board, was on Thursday appointed as the Secretary of the FRA, Mumbai.
With multiple complaints and legal battles surrounding fee discrepancies and stipend disparities in private medical colleges, his appointment comes at a crucial moment. Stakeholders will be closely watching to see if he takes strict action against non-compliant institutions and ensures that students no longer have to approach courts for their rightful dues.
“It remains to be seen how he addresses the long-standing issues, including excessive fees charged by private medical colleges, delayed stipend payments, and failure to adhere to FRA guidelines. The upcoming court hearing on March 13, regarding the stipend disparity case and the bailable warrant against the FRA Chairman, will also be a key test for the new Secretary’s approach,” said Sutaria.
