SC orders AMU to release stipend to 11 foreign medical graduates

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to release stipends within two weeks to 11 foreign medical graduates for their internship at JN Medical College, a constituent unit of the university. A bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Arvind Kumar asked AMU to release the money from its own fund.

The top court further asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) not to take any steps against AMU on account of the fact that no prior approval was sought from it. The 11 graduates, including one Zabihullah, filed the plea highlighting the discriminatory practice of paying stipends exclusively to Indian medical graduates.

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Internship duties same for all, says plea

The plea said both categories of graduates were performing identical internship duties as mandated by the National Medical Commission regulations. The bench said all medical interns, regardless of their country of graduation, are entitled to stipends. During the proceedings, the AMU said it was currently having consultations with the Centre and the UGC on additional funding to support future interns who are foreign graduates.