Telangana govt initiates vigilance probe into private medical colleges over stipend denial and regulatory violations

The Hindu

5 days ago

A month after The Hindu reported systemic intimidation tactics employed by private medical colleges in Telangana, the State government has initiated a State-wide vigilance inquiry into these institutions amid a surge of student complaints over stipend denial and violations of regulatory standards.
Pvt medical colleges submitted fabricated info
According to a senior Health department official, the decision was prompted by internal assessments which revealed that over half of the 29 private medical colleges in the State had submitted fabricated information in response to official notices. These notices had sought detailed explanations on 17 parameters, including stipend disbursement, patient care quality, faculty availability, clinical infrastructure, biometric attendance systems, and the constitution of key regulatory committees within institutions.
'Only four colleges were found to be compliant with the prescribed norms,' the official said, noting that the responses received from the remaining were largely unsatisfactory and misleading. The findings point to a broader pattern of institutional neglect, where both undergraduate and postgraduate students are being denied stipends and made to train in substandard clinical environments, the official added.
Some of the troubling revelations came directly from postgraduate students, who deposed before vigilance authorities. In one such instance, an inspection at a private medical college in Suraram exposed severe discrepancies in stipend disbursal and academic governance, prompting the State to widen the probe and initiate raids across other private colleges.
Simultaneously, the government has directed the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) to begin formal proceedings against defaulting institutions.
Committees and infra either absent or non-functional
The inquiry has cast a spotlight on the failure of several colleges to adhere to National Medical Commission (NMC) norms. Mandatory bodies such as anti-ragging committees, internal complaints committees to address sexual harassment, hospital infection control teams, and standard diagnostic services, including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and lab facilities, were either absent or non-functional in many institutions, the official informed.
One of the key triggers for the crackdown has been the violation of a Government Order (GO) issued in 2023, which mandated that MBBS interns in both government and private colleges be paid a stipend of ₹25,906 per month. This figure was revised to ₹29,792 through a GO issued on June 28, 2025. Students have alleged that institutions, while appearing to comply on paper, were forcing interns to return a portion of the amount in cash. In some cases, students claimed that while ₹25,000 was credited to their accounts, ₹20,000 was taken back by the college management in cash.
Such malpractice was reported at Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences (CAIMS) in Karimnagar, where 64 MBBS interns were suspended for a week on July 1 after protesting non-payment of stipends.
Amid these developments, the NMC chairman, during a recent visit to Hyderabad, reiterated that stipend payment is non-negotiable and binding for all institutions.
Potential consequences of persistent violations
'If colleges are found guilty of persistent violations, they could face cancellation of their affiliation certificates by KNRUHS, and the Essentiality Certificates granted by the State. This, in turn, could prompt the NMC to withdraw their operational licences entirely,' the health department official warned.