Jammu Kashmir Medical Interns Announce Indefinite Strike Over 7-Year Pay Freeze

Anantnag: Medical interns across Jammu and Kashmir have announced an indefinite strike to press for their long-pending demand of stipend revision to Rs 25,000 per month. They cited a severe financial crunch and a seven-year freeze on their allowances.

According to the Jammu Kashmir Medical Students Association (JKMSA), the strike and protest call has been given following coordination among representatives of medical colleges across the union territory.

“From Monday (August 31), all MBBS interns of Jammu and Kashmir will refrain from joining duty until the stipend issue is resolved and their demand is addressed,” said Dr Muhammad Aqib Javed, the Media Coordinator of the association.

Describing it as a collective demand of medical interns across J&K, he has appealed to all interns to remain united and participate peacefully in the proposed protest.

Dr Muhammad Aqib Javed, the Media Coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Medical Students Association (JKMSA). (ETV Bharat)

The medical interns are urging the government to honour the recommendations of its own committee, which had recommended raising their monthly pay from Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000.

“The current stipend has not changed since January 2019. But basic costs for housing, food and transport have risen significantly. Our demand is not just for more money," Dr Javed said.

He said that a government-appointed panel approved the hike in 2023. The J&K government officially acknowledged this recommendation during a February 2026 Legislative Assembly session. “Despite multiple rounds of departmental reviews, the proposal remains stalled in the Finance Department,” he said.

Dr Javed said medical students have held several meetings to resolve the deadlock. But the government failed to fulfil demands.

“Our delegations met with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in October 2024 and briefed the deputy chief minister and health minister in May 2025. This past May, our representatives appealed directly to the lieutenant governor to intervene, but our appeals fell on deaf ears,” he said.

Outside view of GMC Anantnag (ETV Bharat)

The interns also claimed that there had been a massive financial disparity between Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India. Citing data, they said, interns in Odisha receive Rs 44,319 per month, while those in West Bengal receive Rs 43,099. Nearby states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab also get at least Rs 25,000.

“All medical interns in J&K undergo mandatory training while working extended shifts in emergency rooms, outpatient clinics, and hospital wards. But the current pay fails to reflect their critical clinical responsibilities,” the medical association said.

It demanded an immediate official order to implement the Rs 25,000 stipend uniformly across all government medical colleges. “The approval process also needs to be transparent, and we need an assurance that medical school fees will not be raised to fund the hike, and a permanent system to periodically review stipends in the future,” Dr Javed added.

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