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Medical Interns Resume Strike in Jammu & Kashmir Over Unmet Stipend Promise
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Strike Resumes Over Unmet Stipend Promise
On October 20, 2026, hundreds of MBBS and BDS interns at government-run hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir walked out again, demanding that the promised increase in their monthly stipend be implemented. The interns had previously halted services in September after the state asked them to suspend the agitation for a 30-day period. With the deadline passed and no official order issued, the interns resumed their protest, staging sit-ins at all government medical colleges in the region.
Background of the Stipend Dispute
Interns originally sought a raise from the existing INR12,300 to INR30,000 per month. In September, Health Minister Sakina Masood Itoo instructed the interns to end the strike, assuring them that their demand would be examined within a month. The written assurance was meant to culminate in a formal government order, which the interns say never materialized.
Interns’ Demands and Statements
Interns stress that a written order is essential before they consider ending the strike. Joint secretary Mohammad Tasadduk Kawser of the All India Medical Students Association (J&K chapter) warned that verbal assurances or media reports would not suffice. Medical intern Dr Faraz Ahmad told reporters that the 30-day period was set by the government itself and that the interns had previously negotiated “based on trust,” now demanding a concrete order.
Government Response
The Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Health Minister Itoo met with intern representatives and the Director-General of Finance but, according to the interns, offered only “humiliating remarks” and framed free medical education as a charitable act by the state. The government has not issued the promised order, and officials have not publicly commented further on the stipend hike.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Instead of a concrete resolution, we were met with humiliating remarks. The OSD reportedly told us that the government was doing us a favour by providing free medical education. Since when has public expenditure become anyone’s personal charity? The money belongs to the taxpayers of J&K, not to Ministers or bureaucrats,” — Mr. Kawser. In September
