<p>The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/nmc">National Medical Commission (NMC)</a> has issued a stern advisory to medical colleges across India, directing them not to charge MBBS fees for the entire five or five-and-a-half-year duration, and to restrict fee collection strictly to the prescribed academic period of 4.5 years.</p><p>The clarification comes after the Commission received complaints that several institutions were charging students for the full duration of the course, including the internship period.</p><p><strong>Fees only for academic study, not internship</strong></p><p>In its public notice dated April 7, 2026, the NMC flagged the practice as inconsistent with the structure of the MBBS programme.</p><p>“It has been brought to the notice… that certain Medical Colleges… are charging fees for the entire duration of five years or five and a half years… Such practices are not consistent with the prescribed academic structure,” the notice stated.</p>.NEET-UG 2026: NTA releases city slips for candidates; exam on May 3.<p>The Commission clarified that the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/mbbs">MBBS </a>course consists of 4.5 years (54 months) of academic study, followed by 1 year of compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI).</p><p>Since the internship does not involve formal classroom instruction, charging fees for this period is not justified.</p><p>The NMC also referenced multiple Supreme Court judgments to underline that fee structures must remain fair and non-exploitative. Charging students for non-academic periods violates these principles, the Commission noted.</p><p><strong>Clear directive to all medical institutions</strong></p><p>Issuing a firm directive, the Commission stated, “All Medical Colleges… are hereby directed that the fee for the MBBS course shall be charged only for prescribed academic duration of 4 and a half years.”</p><p>It further warned that any violation of these norms would invite strict action under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and relevant regulations.</p><p><strong>Why this matters for students</strong></p><p>The move is expected to bring relief to thousands of MBBS aspirants and students, especially in private medical colleges where fee structures have long been a concern. By clearly separating academic fees from internship duration, the NMC has reinforced that:</p><ul><li><p>Students should not pay for periods without teaching.</p></li><li><p>Internship should not be monetised.</p></li><li><p>Institutions must align fee practices with legal and regulatory standards.</p></li></ul><p>The advisory comes at a time when the cost of medical education in India is under close scrutiny, with concerns about high fees, lack of transparency, and issues around internship stipends.</p><p>Since NEET-UG is the only entrance exam for medical colleges and lakhs of students appear for it every year, clearer rules on fees are expected to impact a large number of students.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/nmc">National Medical Commission (NMC)</a> has issued a stern advisory to medical colleges across India, directing them not to charge MBBS fees for the entire five or five-and-a-half-year duration, and to restrict fee collection strictly to the prescribed academic period of 4.5 years.</p><p>The clarification comes after the Commission received complaints that several institutions were charging students for the full duration of the course, including the internship period.</p><p><strong>Fees only for academic study, not internship</strong></p><p>In its public notice dated April 7, 2026, the NMC flagged the practice as inconsistent with the structure of the MBBS programme.</p><p>“It has been brought to the notice… that certain Medical Colleges… are charging fees for the entire duration of five years or five and a half years… Such practices are not consistent with the prescribed academic structure,” the notice stated.</p>.NEET-UG 2026: NTA releases city slips for candidates; exam on May 3.<p>The Commission clarified that the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/mbbs">MBBS </a>course consists of 4.5 years (54 months) of academic study, followed by 1 year of compulsory rotating medical internship (CRMI).</p><p>Since the internship does not involve formal classroom instruction, charging fees for this period is not justified.</p><p>The NMC also referenced multiple Supreme Court judgments to underline that fee structures must remain fair and non-exploitative. Charging students for non-academic periods violates these principles, the Commission noted.</p><p><strong>Clear directive to all medical institutions</strong></p><p>Issuing a firm directive, the Commission stated, “All Medical Colleges… are hereby directed that the fee for the MBBS course shall be charged only for prescribed academic duration of 4 and a half years.”</p><p>It further warned that any violation of these norms would invite strict action under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and relevant regulations.</p><p><strong>Why this matters for students</strong></p><p>The move is expected to bring relief to thousands of MBBS aspirants and students, especially in private medical colleges where fee structures have long been a concern. By clearly separating academic fees from internship duration, the NMC has reinforced that:</p><ul><li><p>Students should not pay for periods without teaching.</p></li><li><p>Internship should not be monetised.</p></li><li><p>Institutions must align fee practices with legal and regulatory standards.</p></li></ul><p>The advisory comes at a time when the cost of medical education in India is under close scrutiny, with concerns about high fees, lack of transparency, and issues around internship stipends.</p><p>Since NEET-UG is the only entrance exam for medical colleges and lakhs of students appear for it every year, clearer rules on fees are expected to impact a large number of students.</p>
