The ongoing strike by MBBS and BDS interns across government medical colleges in Jammu & Kashmir has brought a long-simmering issue to a boil. At its core, the dispute touches on the purpose of medical internships, the historical evolution of stipends, the status of foreign medical graduates, and the question of what constitutes fair compensation. 

The compulsory rotatory internship—instituted as a mandatory 12-month bridge between theoretical medical training and independent practice—was historically viewed purely as an educational extension. In the 1970s, receiving ₹200 per month was standard across many Indian state medical institutions. At that time, it was explicitly framed as a nominal “pocket-money allowance” rather than remuneration for labour, as the state bore the brunt of medical education costs, and living expenses were low.

Over the decades, however, two structural shifts transformed this equation: Government tertiary care facilities now handle immense patient volumes. Interns do not merely “observe”; they shoulder frontline clinical duties—handling emergency triage, night shifts, ICU monitoring, and surgical assistance for 80–90........

© Greater Kashmir