Indefinite Strike By J&K Medical Interns Over Lowest Stipend, Demand Parity With National Averages

Srinagar: The medical interns across Jammu and Kashmir went on an indefinite strike on Monday, halting hospital duties to demand a stipend hike from Rs 12,300 to Rs 30,000, citing parity with colleagues in other states.

Interns from SKIMS Bemina, GMC Srinagar, and medical colleges in Jammu gathered outside hospitals and staged dharnas, saying they were compelled to stop work after years of ignored pleas.

“We are the first responders in emergencies, assisting in OPDs, wards, and procedures. Yet we are paid less than daily-rated workers,” said one intern.

Charts displayed at the protests highlighted the disparity; Odisha pays Rs 44,319, West Bengal Rs 43,099, Assam Rs 35,000, Karnataka Rs 30,000, Kerala Rs 27,300, Delhi and Meghalaya Rs 26,300, Telangana Rs 25,900, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh Rs 25,000, Haryana Rs 24,310, Andhra Pradesh Rs 21,840, Gujarat, Bihar, Goa and Himachal Pradesh around Rs 20,000, and Puducherry Rs 18,000. Against these figures, Jammu and Kashmir remains at the bottom with Rs 12,300.

Dr Abhinav Bhat said a committee formed in 2023 had recommended a hike to Rs 25,000, later revised to Rs 26,300 in the 2026 Assembly session. However, the file has remained pending, shuffled between the Chief Minister’s office and the Finance Department.

“We are being made to run from one office to another. We want a written order, not verbal assurances,” he said.

Meanwhile, interns argue that the existing stipend has failed to keep pace with inflation and does not reflect the workload they shoulder in government medical colleges.

They said they perform duties in emergency departments, OPDs, wards, and rural postings, often working sleepless nights, yet continue to receive Rs 12,300 a month.

“Same work, same dedication, fair stipend,” read banners displayed at the protests.

PDP MLA Waheed Para posted on X that “pushing the most educated youth onto the streets is an unfortunate precedent,” while J&K Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra wrote to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urging immediate intervention. Karra’s letter mentions interns as vital to hospital functioning, often working 36-hour shifts, and called their demand “legitimate and urgent”.