The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued a clarification directing all medical colleges, institutions, and universities to charge fees strictly in accordance with the prescribed academic duration of the MBBS programme. The move comes after the Commission received complaints that some institutions were levying fees for five to five-and-a-half years.
In an official public notice, the NMC reiterated that under the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024, framed within the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER), the MBBS course consists of 4.5 years (54 months) of academic study, followed by a one-year Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI).
The Commission stated that charging fees for the entire five or 5.5-year duration is inconsistent with the prescribed academic structure. "Such practices result in charging fees for periods which do not constitute academic teaching," the notice said.
Referring to provisions under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, the regulator emphasised that institutions must adhere strictly to the defined course structure. It also cited interim directions of the Supreme Court in Abhishek Yadav versus Union of India, where concerns related to non-payment of stipends and imposition of internship-related charges were taken seriously.
The NMC further drew attention to landmark Supreme Court judgments, including TMA Pai Foundation versus State of Karnataka, Islamic Academy of Education versus State of Karnataka, and PA Inamdar versus State of Maharashtra. These rulings mandate that fee structures in educational institutions must be reasonable, transparent, non-exploitative, and aligned with the academic facilities and services actually provided.
Based on these legal and regulatory principles, the Commission has directed that MBBS fees must be charged only for the 4.5-year academic period, and not for the internship duration where no formal academic instruction is imparted.
The NMC has warned that any violation of these guidelines will be viewed seriously, and strict action will be taken against non-compliant institutions under applicable laws and regulations.
