Srinagar, Aug 31: With no hike in the monthly stipend for MBBS and BDS interns in medical colleges across Jammu and Kashmir, interns began an indefinite strike on Monday, seeking an increase in their long-pending stipend.
Interns at Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) across J&K, including GMC Srinagar, GMC Baramulla and GMC Rajouri, staged peaceful protests, demanding an enhancement in their monthly stipend in view of rising living costs, workload and clinical responsibilities during their compulsory internship.
The protesting interns at GMC Srinagar said their stipend has remained unchanged at around Rs 12,300 per month since 2019, despite a significant rise in the cost of living.
The interns also held a candlelight march on Monday evening and appealed to the government to approve the long-pending stipend hike.
They said the Telangana government recently enhanced the stipend of MBBS interns to Rs 29,792 per month, while postgraduate scholars are receiving Rs 67,032.
On July 15 last year, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo had said that the stipend would be increased “very soon” and that the file was under process.
On September 9, 2025, the All-India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) submitted a representation to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeking his intervention in the matter.
In October 2025, according to representations submitted by the students’ association, the proposal was approved at the Health and Medical Education level and forwarded to the Finance Department.
The issue was also raised in the J&K Legislative Assembly in February 2026. The government acknowledged that a committee constituted in 2023 had recommended an enhancement, while the proposal was awaiting the required financial concurrence.
During Monday’s protest, interns held placards carrying messages such as, “Rs 30,000 is not a luxury; it is a necessity.”
Meanwhile, Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakina Itoo said the interns’ demand was genuine and that a proposal to increase their stipend was already under process.
She said the government was considering raising the monthly stipend from the existing around Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000 and that the file had been forwarded to the Finance Department for assessment of its financial implications.
Itoo acknowledged the interns’ concerns, saying rising inflation had created a need to revise the stipend.
“It is their genuine demand. We don’t say that it is wrong. Because these days there is a lot of inflation. There is a need to increase it. We ourselves agree,” the minister said.
She added that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was also aware of the issue and that the government was working to address the demand.
However, Itoo appealed to the interns to call off their strike, saying their demand was already being considered.
“There was no need to go on strike. Their file is under process. I do not think it is right to go on strike. It affects patient care,” she said.
