MCI mulls action against erring private medical colleges

COLLECTING STIPEND FEE FROM PG STUDENTS

Hyderabad: The Medical Council of India (MCI) has taken a serious note of a GO, issued by the TS government regarding the payment of stipend to the postgraduate medical students in private medical institutes in the State. The issue came to light when the MCI had received a complaint stating that private medical colleges had been collecting stipend fee of Rs 75,000 per quarter from each postgraduate medical student.

According to Clause 13.3 of Postgraduate Medical Education Rules 2000, “The postgraduate students pursuing postgraduate degree/diploma/super specialty course shall be paid stipend on a par with the stipend being paid to the postgraduate students of State and Central government Medical Institutions in the State and Union Territory.

As such, the private medical colleges in Telangana State are required to pay stipend to the PG students. However, besides collecting Rs 2,90,000 per annum towards tuition fee, the colleges have been collecting additional amount of Rs 75,000 on quarterly basis under the head of stipend fee. And, this stipend money will be paid back to PG students as monthly stipend in compliance with the MCI rule.

The MCI found the practice adopted by the private medical colleges illegal. Speaking to The Hans India, Dr K Ramesh Reddy, member, MCI, said that collecting money was totally irregular, improper and against the MCI rules.

The MCI would take action against the colleges if they were found to be deviating from the set norms, he warned. Dr G Srinivas, president of the Telangana Junior Doctors Association, appealed to the government to rescind the GO as it would harm the PG students.