**Executive Summary**
This document addresses a parliamentary question regarding stipends for Master of Public Health (MPH) students. It clarifies that MPH programs at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST) and generally across institutions are considered non-stipendiary academic programs. The information was submitted on February 4, 2026, by the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **MPH Program Characteristics:**
* The MPH program at SCTIMST is an academic public health program, not a residency-based clinical postgraduate course.
* MPH students do not provide clinical services.
* There is a policy distinction between residency-based clinical postgraduate courses and academic postgraduate programs.
* **Stipends:**
* There are no specific Government Orders or Guidelines mandating stipends for MPH programs.
* Students admitted to MPH at SCTIMST are aware the course is a non-stipendiary program.
* The National Medical Commission (NMC) Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023, mandates stipends only to clinical specialties.
* There is no current proposal to include MPH students under the stipend scheme applicable to clinical postgraduate courses in medical institutions.
* **Financial Assistance:**
* The SCTIMST Institute facilitates eligible needy students to avail financial assistance under existing Government scholarship schemes (e.g., E-Grantz).
* MPH programs are generally treated as non-stipendiary academic programs across institutions.
* Limited scholarship and tuition fee waivers are selectively available at institutions like NIE, NIMHANS, and IIPHs.
**Impact Analysis**
**MPH Students**
* **Impact:** MPH students, particularly those at SCTIMST, are affected by the lack of mandatory stipends.
* **Action Required:** MPH students should be aware that stipends are not mandated but financial assistance through existing government schemes and selective scholarships may be available.
**Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST)**
* **Impact:** SCTIMST must ensure transparency regarding the non-stipendiary nature of its MPH program.
* **Action Required:** SCTIMST needs to continue facilitating access to available financial assistance programs for eligible students.
**National Medical Commission (NMC)**
* **Impact:** The NMC's PGMER 2023 regulations reinforce the exclusion of MPH programs from mandatory stipends.
* **Action Required:** No immediate action required; continued monitoring and evaluation of the impact of stipend policies on MPH student enrollment and access to education.
Key Entities Referenced
National Medical Commission (NMC) Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER), 2023: Regulations that mandate stipends only to clinical specialties, excluding Master of Public Health (MPH) students.
Master of Public Health (MPH): Academic public health program, focus of the Parliament question regarding stipends.
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram: Institute where the MPH program is treated as non-clinical, raising stipend issues.
Ministry of Science & Technology: Ministry that released the information about the MPH program and stipends.
E-Grantz: Government scholarship scheme for financial assistance.
Ministry of Science & Technology
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: MASTER OF PUBLIC
HEALTH STUDENTS
Posted On: 04 FEB 2026 4:50PM by PIB Delhi
The Master of Public Health (MPH) programme at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences &
Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram is treated as an academic public health programme and not
a residency-based clinical postgraduate course. MPH students do not provide any clinical services. Clear
policy distinction exists between residency-based clinical postgraduate courses and academic postgraduate
programmes. There are no specific Government Orders or Guidelines mandating stipend for MPH
programmes.
The students admitted to the MPH at SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram, are fully aware that the course is a
non-stipendiary academic program and, as such, there is no issue regarding non-payment of stipends.
However, to address the difficulties of needy students, the Institute facilitate the eligible students to avail
financial assistance under existing Government scholarship schemes such as E-Grantz and other
applicable non-professional course scholarships.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) Post-Graduate Medical Education Regulations (PGMER),
2023, mandate stipends only to clinical specialties. Currently, there is no such proposal to include MPH
students under the stipend scheme applicable to clinical postgraduate courses in medical institutions.
In general, MPH programmes across institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS),
Central Universities, State Medical Colleges and other Institutes of National Importance are treated as
non-stipendiary academic programmes. However, limited and selective support in the form of scholarships
and tuition fee waiver is provided in certain institutions like National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE),
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Public Health Foundation of
India (IIPHs) for students enrolling in MPH course.
This Information was submitted by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and
Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh in Loksabha on 4th February 2026.
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