Big relief for MBBS students: NMC directs colleges to collect fees for 4.5 years only, not full course

In a relief to students and parents, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges, institutions and universities to charge MBBS fees only for 4.5 years, in a statement issued by the Commission, warning that any deviation will invite strict action.

The Commission said it has received complaints that some institutions are charging fees for the entire duration of five or five and a half years. It noted that such practices are not consistent with the academic structure of the MBBS programme and lead to fees being collected for periods that do not involve academic teaching.

MBBS course structure clarified

Referring to the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 and the Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024 under the Graduate Medical Education Regulations (GMER), the NMC reiterated that the MBBS course comprises 4.5 years (54 months) of academic study followed by one year of compulsory rotating internship (CRMI).

Supreme Court observations cited

The Commission also cited interim directions of the Supreme Court in Abhishek Yadav v. Union of India, which dealt with issues such as non-payment of stipend and imposition of internship-related charges. It further referred to key rulings in T.M.A. Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka, Islamic Academy of Education v. State of Karnataka, and P.A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra, which mandate that fee structures must be reasonable, transparent and non-exploitative.

Strict compliance mandated

The NMC said charging fees beyond the prescribed academic duration, without corresponding academic instruction, violates these principles. It has directed all institutions to strictly comply with the provisions of the NMC Act, 2019, applicable regulations and court judgements.

The Commission warned that any instance of non-compliance will be viewed seriously and appropriate action will be taken under existing statutory and regulatory provisions.