SC issues notices to govt. on extended internship, fee charged from medical students who fled war, pandemic

Supreme Court issues notice to Union government on petition challenging extended internship for medical students affected by war and pandemic.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (May 13, 2025) issued notice to the Union government on a petition challenging the “extended period of internship” students whose medical studies abroad were interrupted by war and pandemic have to undergo in India.

A Bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai decided to get the government’s response on the petition filed by the Association of Doctors and Medical Students, represented by advocate Zulfiker Ali P.S., who argued that these students, who were unfortunate in having to flee war and pandemic and return to India, were also charged a monthly ₹5,000 by Indian medical colleges during the entire period of their two-year internship termed as ‘clinical clerkship’.

“These medical students from foreign universities had joined the course in 2016 and 2017. In the normal scenario, their course would have been over in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Had they graduated in the normal course, the students who joined the medical course in 2016 would have started medical practice either in late 2022 or early 2023,” the petition said.

Likewise, the students who joined the course in 2017 would have launched their medical practice either in late 2023 or early 2024.

“The pandemic and/or Russia-Ukraine war had interrupted their education and they have already lost more than one year to complete the course,” the petition argued.

The petition said the students had to leave their offline medical studies abroad but had completed their course through online classes supplemented with offline practical and clinical training.

The petition submitted that the circulars and public notices requiring extra years of internship and monthly clerkship fee were contradictory to the Regulations framed under the National Medical Commission Act.