Srinagar, Sep 08: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said the stipend of MBBS and BDS interns, who had been on strike for more than a week, would be finalised within a month based on the recommendations of the Stipend Enhancement Committee.
The development came after a delegation of medical interns from various medical colleges across J&K called on Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakeena Itoo and sought enhancement of their monthly stipend.
According to details issued by the office of the Health Minister, the meeting was attended by the Principal, Government Medical College Srinagar; Deputy Director Planning, representing the Director Health Services Kashmir; and medical interns.
The delegation apprised the minister of the existing stipend structure and highlighted the need for a suitable revision, keeping in view the nature of their duties, workload and responsibilities in the healthcare system.
The minister gave a patient hearing to the delegation and observed that the concerns raised by the medical interns deserved due consideration. She said the Government had remained mindful of issues concerning medical interns and was sensitive to their legitimate concerns.
Sakeena Itoo informed the delegation that the matter was already under consideration and that a committee had been constituted to examine the issue comprehensively. She said the constitution of the committee reflected the seriousness with which the Government was addressing the matter and its intent to arrive at a considered and appropriate decision.
It was also observed that the matter needed to be brought to a logical conclusion expeditiously so that the valuable time and academic and professional responsibilities of the interns were not adversely affected and hospital services and patient care continued uninterrupted.
After detailed deliberations, it was decided that the matter would be finalised within 30 days on the basis of the recommendations of the Stipend Enhancement Committee and keeping in view the legitimate interests and concerns of the medical interns.
“In view of the above, the medical interns agreed to resume their duties forthwith, in the larger interest of patient care and also to safeguard their academic and professional interests,” according to details.
Meanwhile, medical interns across Jammu and Kashmir have put their ongoing strike on hold for one month following the assurance from the Health Minister, All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA) J&K president Dr Mohammad Momin Khan said. They will resume their duties from Wednesday.
AIMSA president expressed gratitude to Sakeena Itoo for giving the interns one month’s time to finalise the stipend enhancement issue and thanked all those who supported the protesting intern doctors during the agitation.
The interns had initially rejected the proposed one-month timeline and continued their agitation, insisting that the stipend enhancement be formally notified through a government order.
The protest subsequently intensified, with interns at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, announcing a 48-hour hunger strike on September 7 in the absence of a formal order on the stipend revision.
The interns have been demanding an increase in their monthly stipend paid during their one-year mandatory internship after completing MBBS or BDS from medical colleges.
In July last year, the Health Minister had stated that there would be an increase in the stipend “very soon” and that the file was under process.
Since then, students and medical associations had repeatedly raised the issue with the authorities, pointing out that the stipend had not been revised for the past seven years.
In February 2026, the issue was also raised in the J&K Legislative Assembly. The Government had acknowledged that a committee constituted in 2023 had recommended an enhancement, while the proposal was still awaiting the required financial concurrence.
