Mumbai: The Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench has directed the Maharashtra government to clarify whether it is willing to pay stipends for students admitted under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) quota in private medical colleges on par with those received by interns in government medical institutions.
The directive follows allegations that private medical colleges are paying SEBC quota medical interns a stipend of only Rs 4,000 per month, significantly lower than the Rs 18,000 paid in government medical colleges.
The issue stems from the fact that SEBC quota students were originally admitted to government medical colleges but were later shifted to private institutions due to reservation adjustments.
Private colleges have defended the lower stipend payments, arguing that increasing them would be unfair to non-SEBC students, who pay their tuition fees as determined by the Fees Regulating Authority (FRA). According to them, raising stipends would effectively mean that these students would bear the financial burden of their peers’ stipends, as tuition fees already include stipend costs.
The matter was heard in a writ petition filed by Ayush Pawade and other students against the State of Maharashtra and other respondents. During the proceedings, the counsel representing FRA stated that its role in the dispute was limited, as the decision to provide stipends lay with the colleges.
The authority clarified that it had no objection if private institutions chose to match the government stipend rates, provided they adhered to the government resolution dated February 27, 2024 and the National Medical Commission’s notification of November 18, 2021.
Advocate A.A. Naik, representing a private medical college, submitted that while the tuition fees of SEBC quota students were covered by the state, the stipend amount had not been explicitly addressed. He assured the court that the private college had ensured that the Rs 4,000 stipend would continue to be disbursed as promised.
The court has acknowledged the state’s responsibility in covering SEBC students’ fees, including stipends, and has directed the Assistant Government Pleader to obtain instructions from the Maharashtra government regarding its willingness to provide parity in stipend payments. The next hearing is scheduled for April 9, when the state is expected to present its stand on the matter.
