Notice seeks statewide clarification, action against colleges denying enhanced stipend; Allahabad High Court proceedings threatened if authorities fail to act within 15 days
New Delhi, September 11, 2026: A legal battle is brewing over the implementation of Uttar Pradesh’s recently enhanced internship stipend for MBBS and BDS interns, with Adv. Satyam Singh Rajput, appearing on behalf of the United Doctors Front (UDF) and the Legal Cell for All India Doctors, serving legal notices to the Uttar Pradesh Government and several private medical colleges.
The notices seek an authoritative clarification on the applicability of the State Government’s August 27, 2026 decision to increase the monthly stipend for MBBS/BDS graduates undergoing compulsory rotating internship from ₹12,000 to ₹25,000.
The notices have been issued on behalf of Dr. Lakshay Mittal, Chairperson of United Doctors Front, and Dr. Subrajyoti Chattopadhyay, Executive Member of the Legal Cell for All India Doctors, through the chambers of Adv. Satyam Singh Rajput. The government-facing notice has been addressed to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, senior officials of the Medical Education and Health Departments, and the Director General of Medical Education & Training, Uttar Pradesh.
₹25,000 stipend at centre of dispute
According to the legal notice sent by Satyam Singh Rajput, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved an increase in the rotating internship stipend from ₹12,000 to ₹25,000 per month on August 27. However, several private medical colleges have reportedly taken the position that the enhanced amount applies only to government medical colleges, institutions and universities.
The notice names Rama Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Hapur; Saraswati Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Hapur; National Institute of Medical Sciences, Ghaziabad; and Varun Arjun Medical College & Rohilkhand Hospital, Shahjahanpur, among institutions where the issue has allegedly arisen.
The notice further alleges that some colleges are not even paying the earlier ₹12,000 in full, with deductions of approximately ₹2,000 being made from the stipend.
Adv. Satyam Singh Rajput challenges lack of clarity
A key argument raised by Adv. Satyam Singh Rajput is that the ambiguity surrounding the Government Order cannot be left to individual private institutions to interpret unilaterally.
The notice points out that MBBS and BDS interns in private institutions undertake compulsory rotating internships and perform clinical and patient-care duties in OPDs, IPDs, emergency services, wards and other hospital departments, while functioning under the regulatory framework of the National Medical Commission.
The legal notice therefore calls upon the Directorate of Medical Education & Training to clearly determine whether the ₹25,000 stipend is:
- restricted to government medical/dental colleges and institutions; or
- applicable to private and self-financed institutions as well; or
- intended to operate as a minimum stipend for interns across Uttar Pradesh irrespective of institutional ownership.
The notice states that if the enhanced stipend is intended to cover private institutions, the Directorate should issue statewide implementation directions without discrimination or delay. Conversely, if the government intends the order to apply only to government institutions, the authorities have been asked to issue an explicit clarification.
Interns protest, hunger strike reported in Hapur
The stipend dispute has already triggered protests at several private medical colleges.
The legal notice records that interns at Saraswati Medical College, Hapur, began a hunger protest on September 10, 2026, after their demands for enhanced stipend were not addressed.
The notice argues that the compulsory nature of internship places interns in a particularly vulnerable position because their academic progression and professional registration are connected to completion of the internship. It contends that institutions should not be permitted to use this dependence to suppress legitimate grievances.
Allegations of confinement and threats at Rama Medical College
The legal notice also raises serious allegations concerning the handling of protests at Rama Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Hapur.
According to the notice, protesting interns were allegedly confined in an isolated room and threatened with consequences for their academic and professional future, including an alleged threat that their degrees would not be issued. The notice further alleges that warning communications were subsequently sent to students and their parents.
The notice describes the alleged conduct as potentially amounting to wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation, while reserving the right to initiate appropriate proceedings.
Importantly, these are allegations contained in the legal notice and have not been established by a court.
₹75,000–₹80,000 cash examination fee allegation
Another major issue raised in the notice is an allegation of collection of approximately ₹75,000–₹80,000 per student per year in cash, purportedly towards the conduct of examinations.
The notice alleges that such amounts were collected without receipts and were not reflected in the prescribed fee structure or official accounts. It calls for disclosure and accounting of any such collections and threatens complaints before relevant regulatory and law-enforcement authorities if the allegations are substantiated.
The notice also refers to provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and other laws in connection with the allegations.
15-day deadline issued to authorities
Adv. Satyam Singh Rajput has given the concerned authorities and institutions 15 days from receipt of the notice to act.
Among the principal demands are:
- A reasoned and binding clarification on whether the ₹25,000 stipend applies to private/self-financed medical and dental colleges.
- Statewide directions for uniform implementation if private institutions are covered.
- Immediate compliance reports from private medical and dental colleges.
- Regulatory action against institutions found violating applicable stipend or internship norms.
- Maintenance and production of complete records of stipend payments made to interns.
The notice specifically states that its objective is to obtain a uniform regulatory position so that interns are not forced to approach multiple authorities or courts because of conflicting interpretations by individual institutions.
Allahabad High Court route if no action
The legal notice warns that failure by the Directorate and other competent authorities to provide the required clarification or take appropriate action within the stipulated 15-day period could lead to further legal proceedings.
Adv. Satyam Singh Rajput has reserved the right to approach the Allahabad High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution, seeking appropriate writs, directions and orders concerning enforcement of the applicable stipend norms and regulatory action against erring institutions.
The notice also reserves the possibility of complaints before the National Medical Commission and other competent authorities, as well as criminal and other legal proceedings concerning the allegations raised against individual institutions.
A potentially significant test for private medical colleges
The intervention by Adv. Satyam Singh Rajput puts the spotlight on a larger question: whether the benefits of Uttar Pradesh’s revised internship stipend can be denied to interns solely because they are undergoing training in private or self-financed medical colleges.
With private medical interns performing substantial clinical responsibilities during compulsory rotating internship, the demand for a clear, statewide position from the Uttar Pradesh authorities could now become a significant issue for medical students and colleges across the state.
The legal notice has thus given the Uttar Pradesh Government and medical education authorities 15 days to clarify the position and take appropriate action, failing which the matter could move to the Allahabad High Court.
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