J&K Medical Interns Protest Across GMCs, Demand Implementation of ₹25,000 Stipend
By: Sheikh Mohammad Isa
SRINAGAR: MBBS and BDS interns held peaceful demonstrations at government medical institutions across Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, pressing the administration to implement a long-pending increase in their monthly stipend. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Interns gathered at various Government Medical Colleges and at SKIMS Bemina, raising slogans and urging the Jammu and Kashmir government to take a decision on the issue.
The protests came after the interns’ earlier warning that they would intensify their agitation if their demand remained unresolved.
Interns currently receive ₹12,300
The central issue is the stipend paid to MBBS and BDS interns during their compulsory internship.
Interns currently receive ₹12,300 a month, a figure that has remained unchanged since 2019, according to reports on the issue. The National Medical Commission’s published stipend data also lists ₹12,300 for MBBS interns at several government medical institutions in J&K.
The interns are seeking a substantial revision, arguing that the present amount does not adequately reflect their workload and rising living expenses.
Their demand has been strengthened by the fact that a government-appointed committee has already recommended a higher stipend.
Government committee recommended ₹25,000
The Health and Medical Education Department constituted a committee under Government Order No. 538-JK(HME) of 2023 on June 27, 2023, to examine the issue of stipend enhancement for MBBS and BDS interns.
The committee recommended increasing the monthly stipend from ₹12,300 to ₹25,000.
The government subsequently informed the J&K Legislative Assembly in February 2026 about the recommendation.
For the interns, the main frustration is that the recommendation has not yet translated into a formal increase in their monthly payment.
Proposal remains under Finance Department examination
The government told the Assembly in February that the proposal had been examined by the Health and Medical Education Department and sent to the Finance Department for concurrence.
The Finance Department raised observations and sought clarifications on multiple occasions. Information was subsequently obtained from the concerned Government Medical Colleges and the case was sent back for consideration.
The government also stated that the matter was actively under consideration and that there was no undue delay in issuing formal orders.
For interns, however, the wait has continued.
Doctors point to long working hours
The protesting interns say their stipend needs to be viewed alongside the responsibilities they carry during their compulsory clinical training.
They work across wards, outpatient departments, emergency services and other hospital units, often putting in long shifts.
One protesting doctor, Zamin Javed, said interns had been pursuing the demand for several years and pointed to higher stipends available in other parts of the country.
“We have been demanding the stipend increase to ₹25,000 which is a genuine demand,” he said, while referring to higher rates in Delhi and several other states.
Another intern said doctors can work 80 to 90 hours a week, including extended night duties.
The interns say the combination of long working hours and the unchanged stipend has made the issue increasingly difficult for them.
Interns seek relief from rising expenses
The protesters have also highlighted the rising cost of accommodation, food, transport and other expenses faced by medical graduates during internship.
The stipend was last revised in January 2019, when it was increased from ₹4,800 to ₹12,300.
Since then, the interns argue, the cost of living has increased substantially while their stipend has remained at the same level.
Their demand is therefore focused on implementing a recommendation that has already gone through a government-appointed committee.
Political support grows
The issue has also received support from political leaders and medico associations.
PDP leader Waheed ur Rehman Para backed the interns’ demand and highlighted the role they play in emergency and routine patient care.
The Awami Ittehad Party also extended support to the protesting MBBS and BDS interns, with its chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi calling for a time-bound resolution of the matter.
Resident doctors’ associations at several government medical colleges have also expressed support for the interns’ demand.
Protests remain peaceful
Monday’s demonstrations were reported to have remained peaceful across the participating institutions.
Interns appealed to the government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo to intervene and resolve the issue.
The protesters have maintained that they want a formal decision on the stipend rather than another round of assurances.
What happens next?
The immediate focus is now on whether the government will move the proposal through the Finance Department and issue a formal order revising the stipend.
The government has already acknowledged the ₹25,000 recommendation, meaning the current dispute is primarily over implementation rather than whether the issue has been examined.
For hundreds of MBBS and BDS interns across J&K, the expectation is that the government will now bring the long-pending matter to a decision.
Until that happens, the interns say they will continue pressing for a stipend that they believe better reflects the responsibilities they shoulder in the public healthcare system.
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