AIMSA Seeks LG’s Intervention for Stipend Enhancement of Interns, Resident Doctors in J&K
Srinagar, Feb 18, KNT: The All India Medical Students’ Association has sought urgent intervention of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for the enhancement of stipend for MBBS and BDS interns as well as postgraduate resident doctors in Jammu and Kashmir, citing prolonged delays in approval of the revised proposal.
In a formal representation addressed to the Lieutenant Governor, the association stated that a committee constituted vide Order No. 538-JK-HME of 2023 dated June 27, 2023 had recommended increasing the stipend of MBBS and BDS interns from Rs 12,350 to Rs 25,000. The recommendations were subsequently forwarded to the Finance Department for approval. However, the approval was reportedly linked with a proposed fee hike amounting to up to 60 percent of the enhanced stipend.
The association further stated that during 2024 and 2025, the Health and Medical Education Department sought suggestions from Principals of Government Medical Colleges, who recommended a fee increase of 10 to 20 percent. The proposal was approved by the Health Minister in October 2025 and resubmitted to the Finance Department. Despite this, the file was returned citing incomplete inputs, even after having been cleared by the competent authorities.
The association alleged that the Finance Department clubbed the issue of postgraduate doctors’ stipend enhancement with that of interns in June 2024, which, it said, delayed the process further.
Referring to a recent Assembly session, the association noted that the Health Minister informed the House that the matter was under active consideration and had been resubmitted to the Finance Department. However, no timeline for final approval was specified.
Describing interns and resident doctors as the backbone of the healthcare system, the association said the current stipend is inadequate in the prevailing economic conditions and among the lowest in the country. It urged immediate concurrence by the Finance Department and issuance of formal orders to end uncertainty faced by young doctors. [KNT]
