Interns in MBBS and BDS specialties at medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir announced an indefinite strike on Monday. Their demand is to increase the monthly stipend from the current 12,300 rupees to 30,000 rupees.
One of the protest participants noted that the stipend amount has remained unchanged for seven years, while in other states it ranges from 25,000 to 45,000 rupees per month. The protesters emphasized that they perform the same duties, including round-the-clock shifts and work in rural areas.
The protesters refer to the committee of the Department of Health and Medical Education, which recommended increasing the stipend to 25,000 rupees for the 2025-26 academic year in 2023.
On Monday, Tarik Hamid Kara, head of the regional Congress branch, sent a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, calling for sympathetic and immediate consideration of the demands put forward.