Jammu/Srinagar, Aug 31 (PTI) MBBS and BDS interns across medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir went on an indefinite strike on Monday, protesting a monthly stipend of just Rs 12,300 — around Rs 400 a day — and demanding it be raised to Rs 30,000.
The protesting interns claimed that their stipend had remained unchanged for nearly seven years despite repeated representations and protests, even as medical interns in several other states receive substantially higher amounts.
According to comparative figures displayed by the protesters, Odisha tops the list with a monthly stipend of Rs 44,319, while medical interns in West Bengal receive Rs 43,099 and in Assam at Rs 35,000.
The protesters assembled on the lawns outside medical college hospitals at SKIMS Bemina and GMC Srinagar, besides staging dharnas at various locations in Jammu, and said they had been forced to stop work after their long-pending demand failed to get a response from the government.
“We have been forced to abandon work and take to the streets. All we are demanding is a stipend commensurate with the number of hours we work,” a protesting intern said.
Dr Shahnawaz, an intern, said MBBS and BDS interns across J-K had joined the strike over the demand.
“Our stipend has remained at around Rs 12,300 for seven years. In several other states, interns are getting between Rs 25,000 and Rs 45,000. We are performing the same duties, including 24-hour and night shifts and rural postings, but are being paid only around Rs 400 a day,” he said.
He said interns in J-K receive Rs 12,300 a month, while the stipend in several states ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 45,000 or more.
“We are demanding that our stipend be increased to Rs 30,000,” he said.
The interns said the existing stipend had failed to keep pace with inflation and the workload they shoulder in government medical colleges.
Dr Shahnawaz said interns were among the first medical personnel to attend to patients arriving in emergency departments and also assisted doctors in OPDs, wards, procedures and other hospital services.
“Despite performing regular duties and handling a substantial workload, we continue to receive only Rs 12,300 a month. This is unjust,” another intern said.
Dr Abhinav Bhat, another protester, said a committee constituted by the Health and Medical Education Department in 2023 had recommended increasing the stipend to around Rs 25,000 for 2025-26.
“Subsequently, the issue was raised in the 2026 Assembly session and the proposed stipend was mentioned as around Rs 26,300. But despite this, the file is still pending,” he said, alleging that the interns had been unable to get a clear response about the status of the file, with officials directing them to different departments.
“Sometimes we are told the file has been forwarded to the chief minister, while at other times we are told it is with the Finance Department. We are being made to run from one office to another,” he said.
Demanding a written assurance, he said, “We are on an indefinite strike and will continue until our demand is fulfilled. We want a written order, not merely an assurance.” The protesters in Kashmir said they had also made representations to the government, including Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Ittoo, but had received no response.
“These white aprons are not for holding protests but what can we do when nobody is listening to us? We are paid Rs 400 per day which is less than what a daily-rated unskilled worker earns,” a female protester said.
According to the comparative figures displayed by the interns, Karnataka pays Rs 30,000 a month, while Kerala offers Rs 27,300 and Delhi and Meghalaya Rs 26,300 each.
The stipend in Telangana is listed at Rs 25,900, while Arunachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh offer Rs 25,000 each. Tamil Nadu’s stipend is shown at around Rs 25,000, followed by Haryana at Rs 24,310 and Andhra Pradesh at around Rs 21,840.
Gujarat, Bihar, Goa and Himachal Pradesh are listed at around Rs 20,000 a month, while Puducherry offers Rs 18,000.
Against these figures, J-K interns receive only Rs 12,300 a month, according to the chart, placing the Union Territory at the bottom of the comparison.
The interns said they perform duties in emergency departments, OPDs, wards and other clinical areas, including night shifts and rural postings, while continuing to receive a stipend that has remained unchanged for years.
They also pointed out that even the proposed revision in J-K, which had been under consideration following recommendations of the committee constituted in 2023, had not resulted in implementation of a revised stipend.
The protesters said the disparity was difficult to justify when interns across the country were performing broadly similar clinical duties.
“Same work, same dedication and fair stipend” read the message displayed on their protest banners.
The interns said the strike would continue indefinitely until their demand is accepted and the revised stipend is formally notified.
Meanwhile, PDP MLA from Pulwama Waheed Para backed the protesting interns and said the government must address their demands and hike their stipend.
“Pushing the most educated youth onto the streets by refusing to listen is an unfortunate precedent to set,” he posted on X.
Para said the interns carry the weight of patients’ survival through sleepless nights and responsibilities that no salary reflects.
“They save lives at 3 am. They run toward emergencies while the rest of us run away. They carry the weight of patients’ survival on shoulders barely out of medical school, through sleepless nights, relentless wards, and responsibilities no salary reflects,” he said.
“And for all this, paid Rs 12,300 a month. MBBS interns have waited long enough. @CM_JnK must fulfil their demands at earliest,” he added. PTI AB MIJ NB NB
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