Srinagar, Sep 4: The indefinite strike by MBBS and BDS interns across Jammu and Kashmir entered its fifth day on Friday, with their demand for a higher monthly stipend gaining support from political parties across the spectrum. The government, meanwhile, is preparing for talks with representatives of the protesting interns.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is scheduled to meet a five-member delegation of interns on Friday afternoon to discuss their demand for an increase in the monthly stipend from the existing ₹12,300 to ₹30,000. The delegation includes representatives from GMC Srinagar, GMC Anantnag, GMC Jammu and SKIMS.
The interns launched the indefinite strike on August 31, withdrawing from routine duties at government medical colleges and hospitals across J&K. They say their stipend has remained unchanged for nearly seven years despite rising inflation, long working hours and increasing responsibilities during internship.
The protesting medicos have also highlighted the disparity in stipends between J&K and several other States and Union Territories, where interns receive substantially higher remuneration. They have cited a 2023 committee recommendation proposing an increase in the J&K stipend to ₹25,000, saying the recommendation has not been implemented despite subsequent discussions in the Legislative Assembly.
The agitation has received support from major political parties.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti visited protesting interns at GMC Srinagar on September 1 and supported their demand for a ₹30,000 stipend. PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti later joined the interns during an overnight vigil at SKIMS Bemina and urged Omar Abdullah to intervene personally.
The Congress has also taken up the issue, with Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra writing to the Chief Minister seeking immediate consideration of the demand. A Congress delegation subsequently met protesting interns in Jammu and conveyed the party’s concerns.
The BJP’s J&K unit has likewise backed the interns, urging the Chief Minister and Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo to intervene and initiate dialogue. The party has also called for a time-bound decision while stressing that essential healthcare services should not be disrupted.
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari has termed the demand genuine and justified, calling for a fair stipend comparable to that provided to interns elsewhere in the country.
National Conference MLA Farooq Ahmad Shah also met protesting interns at SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, and attempted to facilitate dialogue. However, the interns insisted that any negotiations should involve representatives from medical colleges across J&K.
On the government side, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo has acknowledged that the interns’ demand is genuine and said the matter is already under process. She said the proposal has been forwarded to the Finance Department for examination of its financial implications, while urging the interns to call off the strike in view of its impact on patient care.
The interns, however, have remained firm, seeking a concrete government decision rather than assurances that the matter is under consideration.
With Omar Abdullah’s meeting with the five-member delegation scheduled for Friday, the talks are expected to be a crucial test of the government’s efforts to resolve the five-day-old agitation.
The outcome could determine whether the interns suspend their strike or continue their protest across government medical institutions in Jammu and Kashmir.