Ahmedabad: Cracking down on exploitative billing, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has ordered medical colleges to stop charging tuition fees beyond the 4.5-year academic study period. The directive puts an end to the practice of some institutions demanding fees for the fifth year or the internship period, a phase where no formal classroom teaching occurs.According to the NMC, such practices are not aligned with the approved academic structure of the MBBS programme. As per the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024, under 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 emphasised that fees should only be charged for the academic period during which formal teaching is imparted. Charging students for the internship period, where no structured classroom teaching takes place, is considered inconsistent with regulations.The NMC also referred to interim directions issued by the Supreme Court in the case of ‘Abhishek Yadav vs Union of India’ (2022), where concerns such as non-payment of stipends and imposition of internship-related fees were taken seriously. Additionally, landmark judgments including ‘TMA Pai Foundation’, ‘Islamic Academy of Education’ and ‘PA Inamdar’ have established that fee structures must be fair, transparent, non-exploitative and proportionate to the services provided.In light of these provisions, the NMC has strictly instructed all institutions to comply with the rules and ensure that fees are limited to the 4.5-year academic duration. The commission warned that any violation of these guidelines will be dealt with seriously, and appropriate action will be taken under existing statutory and regulatory provisions.
