Earlier in April this year, the National Medical Commission (NMC) directed all medical colleges and health institutions to provide details of the stipends paid to undergraduate medical interns, postgraduate (PG) resident doctors, senior resident doctors, and PG students in super-specialty courses for the 2023-24 academic year.The institutions were required to submit these details by the end of April.
While the revised stipend guidelines do not reflect significant changes for most categories of students, there is a 5% increase in the minimum payout for Post Diploma (Broad Specialty) candidates, amounting to an additional two thousand rupees for each year of study.
How does the revised stipend for 2024 compare with the previous year’s rates?
The updated stipend for DNB trainees in 2024 remains consistent with the amounts specified in the previous notice from 2019 for both the DNB Broad Specialty (Post MBBS) and DNB Super Specialty (Post MD/MS/DNB) courses. However, there is an increase in the stipend for the DNB Broad Specialty (Post Diploma) trainees, with a revised stipend for the first and second years in 2024 compared to the 2019 notice.
Here’s a detailed comparison between the stipend amounts:
While the stipends for the Post MBBS (Broad Specialty) and Super Specialty (Post MD/MS/DNB) courses remain unchanged in the revised 2024 guidelines, there has been an increase in the stipends for the Post Diploma (Broad Specialty) courses. Additionally, accredited hospitals and medical institutions are required to provide a stipend to all NBEMS trainees.
What does ‘basic stipend according to state government policy’ mean?
The National Board of Examinations (NBE) has clarified how the phrase “basic stipend according to state government policy” should be interpreted for trainees in different categories of states. These guidelines are applicable to both DNB (Diplomate of National Board) and FNB (Fellowship of National Board) trainees and are intended to align their stipends with those of MD/MS and DM/MCh trainees at State Government Medical Colleges.
Stipend interpretation for states with consolidated payments
For states where the stipend paid to MD/MS and DM/MCh trainees of State Government Medical Colleges is offered as a consolidated sum, without any breakdown into basic pay and other allowances, the NBE has set specific guidelines:
DNB Broad Specialty Trainees: In such states, the stipend for DNB Broad Specialty trainees should be equal to the consolidated sum that is paid to MD/MS trainees of State Government Medical Colleges.
DNB Super Specialty and FNB Trainees: Similarly, the stipend for DNB Super Specialty and FNB trainees should match the consolidated amount paid to DM/MCh trainees in the respective State Government Medical Colleges.
Stipend interpretation for states with structured pay scales
In contrast, some states structure the stipend for MD/MS and DM/MCh trainees as a combination of “Basic Pay plus various allowances,” which may include Dearness Allowance (DA), Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), among others. These stipends are aligned with the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) recommendations. For such states, the NBE guidelines are as follows:
DNB Broad Specialty Trainees: The stipend for these trainees should be based on Pay Level 10 of the 7th CPC. Specifically, this means that Cell 1, 2, and 3 of Pay Level 10 in the 7th CPC pay matrix correspond to the first, second, and third year of training, respectively.
DNB Super Specialty and FNB Trainees: For these trainees, the stipend should align with Pay Level 11 of the 7th CPC. Here, Cell 1, 2, and 3 of Pay Level 11 in the 7th CPC pay matrix are designated for the first, second, and third year of training, respectively.
Check the official notice here
The notice also clarified that NBEMS-accredited hospitals have the discretion to pay their trainees a monthly stipend higher than the prescribed amount.
Furthermore, trainees in the 4th, 5th, and 6th years of a Direct 6-year NBEMS course will receive a stipend equivalent to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year trainees of a Super Specialty course, respectively, provided they have passed the DNB Part-I Examination.
