India, Oct. 29 -- The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday came down heavily on the National Medical Commission (NMC) for failing to ensure payment of stipends to medical interns across the country.

The Supreme Court termed the lapse "deeply concerning" and "unjustified," particularly in light of the long working hours endured by young doctors.

A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria expressed strong displeasure over the NMC's inaction, observing that medical interns often work for more than 18 hours a day and that payment of a stipend was "the bare minimum they deserve".

"The conduct of the NMC requires to be deprecated in as much as the payment of the stipend to the interns has been pending since long before this court and ...