Overview
- MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir launched an indefinite strike on Monday, August 31, 2026, demanding a large raise from the current monthly stipend of ₹12,300.
- A government committee chaired by the HME director in June 2023 recommended raising stipends to about ₹25,000, but the Finance Department has repeatedly sought clarifications and not implemented the change.
- Protesters are pressing for a higher figure—reported as ₹30,000—citing seven years without a raise, sharp rises in living costs, and long clinical shifts including 24–36 hour duties.
- Political leaders from multiple parties have publicly backed the interns and urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and formally notify a revised stipend.
- Interns displayed data comparing J&K to other states where stipends range from about ₹25,000 to over ₹40,000, a gap that raises concerns for retention, morale, and near-term staffing at public hospitals.