Lok Sabha Question No. 880 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-04
Subject: Master of Public Health Students (MPH)
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri N K Premachandran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 880

## ANSWERED ON 04/02/2026

## MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH STUDENTS (MPH)

## 880.  SHRI N K PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to provide stipend to Master of Public Health Students (MPH) in Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Sciences & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram treating them equivalent  to  the  students  of  various  institutes  doing  the  post graduate course entitled to stipend and if so, the details thereof;
- whether  the  Government  analyzed  the  difficulties  of  MPH students  studying  in  Sree  Chitra  Tirunal  Institute  for  Sciences  & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram due to non-payment of stipend and
- (b) if so, the details of action taken to resolve the same;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to include MPH students in the  ambit  of  stipend  payment  which  is  available  to  other  post graduate courses in similar medical institutions and if so, the details of action taken thereon; and
- (d) whether  the  students  in  other  institutions  during  MPH  is entitled for stipend and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) 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.

- (b) The students admitted to the MPH at SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram,  are  fully  aware  that  the  course  is  a  nonstipendiary  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  nonprofessional course scholarships.
- (c) 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.
- (d) 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 NeuroSciences  (NIMHANS),  Public  Health  Foundation  of  India  (IIPHs)  for students enrolling in MPH course.

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