Punjab MBBS students call off strike after govt agrees to address stipends & fee demands

The Print

21-07-2025

More than 2,000 students in Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala had been protesting since 7 May and had announced a strike Monday, claiming that the issue of stagnant stipends and repeated fee hikes had not been addressed. Resident doctors were also participating in solidarity and had raised their own demands for a stipend hike.
The state government has yet to issue a statement confirming the development.
New Delhi: MBBS students and interns from various government medical colleges (GMCs) in three major cities in Punjab said they had called off a more than 50-day protest after the state government agreed to revise their stipends and review the fees. This came hours after the students announced a strike.
After a meeting between the Forum of Resident Doctors (FORD), Punjab, and state Health Minister Balbir Singh and Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, which lasted over 5 hours, Dr. Milan, who was present at the meeting, said the government had agreed to address the students' concerns.
Under the revised stipend structure, junior doctors will receive Rs 76,000 in their first year, Rs 77,000 in their second year, and Rs 78,000 in their third year. Senior doctors, similarly, will receive Rs 92,000, Rs 93,000 and Rs 94,000 over their three years, a statement from FORD issued late Monday said.
The pay for interns was raised to Rs 22,000. These salaries would be reviewed yearly.
A MBBS Fees and Bond committee will review the fee hikes, the statement further said.
A notification in this regard is expected to be issued in two weeks.
In another statement, the FORD said, 'After detailed discussions, the Government of Punjab has agreed to constitute a committee to review and recommend reforms to make medical education fees more affordable. Additionally, the government has committed to a stipend hike for both MBBS and MD students, fulfilling a longstanding demand of resident doctors across the state.'
'In light of these significant developments, FORD Punjab has decided to call off the ongoing strike, and all OPD and hospital services will resume as normal from tomorrow, 1st July 2025.'
ThePrint reached out to the state health minister and Kumar Rahul, Punjab's principal secretary of health & family welfare, for comment through messages. This report will be updated if and when they respond.
ThePrint had earlier reported that discontent had been brewing since 2020, when the fee for the 5.5-year MBBS course (including one year compulsory internship) was hiked by a steep 77 percent in government colleges—from Rs 4.4 lakh to Rs 7.8 lakh. Since then, the state has continued to increase the fee by 5 percent annually.
Protesting interns argued that this placed an unsustainable financial burden on students, particularly those who were from economically weaker backgrounds. This was further compounded by the stagnant monthly stipend of Rs 15,000.
Punjab's stipend amount for interns is the lowest among neighbouring states: Haryana pays Rs 24,300 monthly, Himachal Pradesh Rs 20,000, Chandigarh Rs 30,070 and Delhi Rs 30,000.
Earlier, Kumar Rahul had acknowledged the issue, telling ThePrint on WhatsApp: 'There has been a 5 percent increase in fees every year since 2020. The protest is more about the demand for an increased stipend, which has been taken up with the Finance Department.'
On Monday, outpatient department (OPD) and operation theatre services were hit at GMCs in Amritsar, Faridkot and Patiala after the strike was announced.
A letter submitted by the Medical Students' Association to the director principal of GMC Amritsar, seen by ThePrint, said, 'Despite repeated representations and discussions, no concrete steps have been taken by the authorities to address these pressing issues. The stipend being paid is not in line with inflation, and the burden of bond-related fees has worsened the situation.'
'In view of the continued neglect of our demands, we have no option but to proceed with a strike.'
Similar letters were also submitted to authorities at GMCs in Faridkot and Patiala.
Speaking to ThePrint about the strike earlier, the president of the Medical Students' Association at GMC Amritsar and MBBS intern, Dr. Archit Bawa, said, 'It's been over 50 days now. Doctors of Punjab have been protesting on the roads, but our demands remain unaddressed. We didn't want to stop OPD services, but the government left us with no choice. This is our only resort.'
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)