Srinagar, October 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday increased the monthly stipend for MBBS and BDS interns, including foreign medical graduates (FMGs), from Rs 12,300 to Rs 25,000, with the revised amount effective retrospectively from October 1, 2026.
The Health and Medical Education Department issued the formal order following Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s intervention on Tuesday, when he directed the department to implement the enhancement immediately.
The decision came after medical interns staged a hunger strike on Monday over the delay in issuing a formal order, despite assurances from Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo that the government had agreed in principle to raise their stipend.
The interns called off their hunger strike on Tuesday evening after Abdullah directed the department to issue the enhancement order without further delay.
The protesting interns had argued that their monthly stipend had remained unchanged since 2019 despite a substantial rise in the cost of living.
The revised stipend applies to medical and dental interns across the Union Territory, including foreign medical graduates undergoing internship training.
Medical interns form an important part of Jammu and Kashmir’s healthcare delivery system, providing services in emergency departments, outpatient departments (OPDs), operation theatres and hospital wards. Their work is carried out under the supervision of senior doctors as they complete the mandatory practical training required for independent medical practice.
Senior government doctors had also supported the interns’ demand for an increase in their stipend.
The revision marks a significant increase in the monthly remuneration of interns after years without a change in the amount, addressing a key demand raised by the protesting medical graduates.
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