Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has sought clarification from the Maharashtra government regarding stipend disparity among medical interns from private unaided institutions and those from government medical colleges. The state government has assured the court that it will file its response by April 25.
The petition was filed by Ayush Pawade and 12 other students, highlighting the unequal stipend amounts across institutions. While some receive ₹11,000 per month, students at NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences & Lata Mangeshkar Hospital reportedly receive only ₹4,000 per month during their internships.
Gold Rate
15April 2025
The petitioners argued that as per the state’s notification dated February 27, 2024, all medical interns—across disciplines such as Medical, Dental, Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy—should receive a monthly stipend of ₹18,000.
The High Court noted that the petitioners originally qualified for admission to government medical colleges but were later shifted to private institutions due to SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Class) reservation policies. As the government pays their fees and they were eligible for admission in government colleges, the court asked whether they should be paid stipends on par with government medical college interns.
The college’s legal counsel argued that since these students fall under the SEBC quota and their tuition fees are already covered by the government, the stipend is included in the government’s overall support. The High Court stated that the ₹4,000 stipend must be paid to the petitioners without delay this month.
For other students not covered under any government quota, the court said equating them with government college students would be akin to charging them more fees only to give it back as stipends, which defeats the purpose.
The next hearing is scheduled after the government files its reply by April 25.
