UP private medical college students on hunger strike, seek clarity on Rs 25,000 hike in MBBS interns’ stipend

The United Doctors Front (UDF) has filed a legal notice against the Uttar Pradesh Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) and sought clarification regarding the denial of increased rotating internship stipend to MBBS and DS interns, including other matters.

The doctors’ group has also asked the UP government to explain the illegal confinement, coercion and criminal intimidation of protesting interns. It has also pointed to the threatening circulars or notices to MBBS, BDS interns and their parents over the protest at the UP private medical college.

The legal notice also highlighted that some of the private medical colleges in UP are collecting “illegal and off-the-record examination fees” from medical students.

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UP govt increase MBBS stipend for state medical colleges

The doctors’ body has also sought clarification over the state government’s decision to increase the monthly stipend of MBBS and BDS interns from Rs 12,000 to Rs 25,000 and asked whether the enhanced stipend applies to private medical and dental colleges.

According to the official notice, several private medical institutions have claimed that the Rs 25,000 monthly stipend applies only to government medical colleges, institutions and medical universities, and not to private or self-financed institutions.

However, the doctors’ group stated that the interns at such colleges are being denied the enhanced stipend, despite undertaking compulsory rotating internships and performing clinical duties in OPDs, IPDs, emergency services, wards and other hospital departments.

Furthermore, private medical colleges are also not paying the existing Rs 12,000 monthly stipend in full and are deducting Rs 2,000 from the amount payable to interns, it added.

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'Protesting medical students confined to isolated room by private institution'

The UDF also said that the stipend controversy has led to medical students protesting at many private medical colleges in UP. It also mentioned an ongoing hunger strike by students at a private medical college, continuing since September 10, 2026.

The group has also highlighted that at another private medical institution, the protesting students were confined to an isolated room and threatened with consequences for their academic and professional careers.

In addition, the private medical colleges in UP are also “extracting” off-the-record examination fees, and collecting Rs 75,000 to Rs 80,000 in cash from each student towards examination fees.

The doctors’ body, through the legal notice, has given the UP government 15 days from its receipt to respond and warned that failure to issue the required clarification could lead to proceedings before the court.