NMC Directs Medical Colleges to Charge MBBS Fees Only for 4.5 Years, Warns Against Non-Compliance

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Certain medical colleges are charging fees for the entire duration of five or five and a half years, the NMC has strictly directed all institutions to charge fees only for the prescribed academic duration of 4.5 years.

Noting that certain medical colleges under its purview are charging fees for the entire duration of five years or five and a half years from MBBS students, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has strictly directed all medical colleges to charge fees only for the prescribed academic duration of four and a half years.

The Commission stated that any instance of non-compliance with the directive will be viewed seriously, and appropriate action will be taken as per existing statutory and regulatory provisions.

NMC Issues Strict Public Notice

Issuing a public notice in this regard on April 7, 2026, the Commission said that such practices are not consistent with the prescribed academic structure of the MBBS programme and result in charging fees for periods that do not constitute academic teaching.

"It has been brought to the notice of the National Medical Commission (NMC) that certain Medical Colleges / Institutions / Universities, under the purview of NMC, are charging fees for the entire duration of five (5) years or five and a half (5½) years from the MBBS students. Such practices are not consistent with the prescribed academic structure," the notice read.

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Legal Provisions and Academic Structure

Drawing the attention of the medical colleges, institutions, and universities to Section 10 and Section 24 of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019 and the Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) Guidelines, 2024, the Commission clarified the course structure. These provisions state that the MBBS course comprises:

4½ years (54 months) of academic study.
1 year of Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship (CRMI).

The Commission further referred to the interim directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in the case of Abhishek Yadav v. Union of India, where concerns such as non-payment of stipends and the imposition of internship-related charges or fees were examined.

Principles of Fee Regulation

Referring to landmark Supreme Court rulings in the T.M.A. Pai Foundation and P.A. Inamdar cases, the NMC noted that fee structures must be:

Reasonable and transparent.
Non-exploitative.
Commensurate with the academic facilities and services actually rendered.

"Accordingly, levy of fees for periods beyond the prescribed academic study duration, where no corresponding academic instruction is imparted, would be inconsistent with the aforesaid principles," the Commission added.

Warning Against Non-Compliance

Following this, the Commission has directed all medical colleges and universities to charge fees only for the 4½-year academic period. The NMC warned that any instance of non-compliance shall be viewed seriously, and appropriate action will be initiated by the Commission under extant statutory and regulatory provisions.

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