Veterinary students launch stipend protest across J&K, seek hike

Srinagar, Sep 7: Veterinary students in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday staged a peaceful protest over the long-pending demand for enhancement of their internship stipend, days after MBBS and BDS interns intensified their own agitation over stipend revision.
The Jammu & Kashmir Veterinary Students Association (JKVSA), representing students of SKUAST-Jammu and SKUAST-Kashmir, organized the protest and has been seeking a stipend revision for nearly three years.
According to students, at both universities they were being paid Rs 6,000 per month for six months and Rs 9,000 per month for the remaining six months, with the additional Rs 3,000 being contributed by ICAR. They said a formal proposal for revision of the stipend had remained pending with the Finance Department since 2023 despite repeated follow-ups.
The students said the existing allowance was substantially lower than that being paid to veterinary students at several other institutions across the country.
The comparison circulated by JKVSA showed monthly stipends of Rs 23,500 at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Banaras Hindu University and Kamdhenu University, Rs 22,000 at GADVASU, Rs 20,000 at WBUAFS, Rs 17,000 at LUVAS and KVASU, and Rs 14,000 at RAJUVAS. Other institutions listed included DUVASU, Mathura, at Rs 12,000 and TANUVAS at Rs 11,000.
Against this, students at SKUAST-Jammu and SKUAST-Kashmir were shown receiving Rs 6,000 for six months and Rs 9,000 for the remaining six months, according to the association’s figures.
JKVSA President, Saqlain Rashid said that the disparity had persisted despite the nature of veterinary internships, which involve clinical training, field work and emergency duties. The association also pointed to a communication from the Veterinary Council of India dated May 19, 2026, saying the issue of enhancement of the allowance had already been raised with the concerned authorities.
The students maintained that they were not seeking preferential treatment but a fair and reasonable internship allowance comparable with what veterinary interns receive at other institutions.
The development adds another layer to the growing stipend-related agitation among students and interns in Jammu and Kashmir, with MBBS and BDS interns already intensifying their protest and announcing stronger measures over their own demand for revision of internship stipends.
For the veterinary students, however, the grievance predates the latest wave of protests, with the association stating that its proposal has remained pending at the Finance Department level since 2023. [KNT]