J&K plans to double MBBS and BDS intern stipend to ₹25,000 per month, while across India interns still earn anywhere between ₹7,500 and ₹30,000 depending on their state. What stipend are MBBS interns getting in your state right now, and what do you think it should actually be considering the workload and duty hours? Comment your state and the ideal stipend amount below.
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In a significant development for medical and dental trainees, the Jammu and Kashmir government has moved to double the monthly stipend of MBBS and BDS interns in government health institutions across the Union Territory. The proposal, revealed during a recent assembly session in response to questions by legislators Salman Sagar and Sunil Kumar Sharma, recommends increasing the stipend from the current ₹12,300 to ₹25,000 per month once finance department concurrence is received.
A committee chaired by the Director Finance, Health and Medical Education (H&ME) had earlier reviewed and recommended this enhancement, which was examined and forwarded to the Finance Department after due scrutiny and provision of additional information by medical colleges. The final approval from the Finance Department would trigger issuance of a formal order to implement this revision.
Alongside this, the government has also proposed stipend enhancement for PG and DNB students across all medical and dental colleges in the UT, with a proposal already submitted for financial concurrence.
Interns are the backbone of clinical services in teaching and government hospitals. During the compulsory 12-month MBBS internship — known as the Compulsory Rotatory Residential Internship (CRRI) — they work long hours in wards, emergency departments, outpatient services, and other clinical areas, gaining essential hands-on training before independent practice. Stipends serve as a modest recognition of this work, intended to provide financial support during the training period.
However, stipend amounts vary widely across India — both between states and between government and private institutions. This disparity has been a longstanding source of concern among medical students and professionals.
According to current data on state-wise internship stipends:
1. Assam — Around ₹30,000–₹35,000 per month
Assam is widely reported to offer some of the highest stipends for MBBS interns in India, rivalled by premier institutes as well.
2. West Bengal — Around ₹29,700–₹32,000 per month
West Bengal also offers stipends in the upper range, making it one of the top-paying states.
3. Karnataka — Around ₹30,000 per month
Karnataka’s government medical colleges offer competitive stipends near the top of the national range.
Additionally, central institutes like AIIMS, JIPMER, and LHMC commonly pay around ₹30,000–₹32,000/month, reflecting some of the highest stipends nationwide.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, several states offer stipends that are significantly lower:
1. Uttar Pradesh — ₹7,500 per month
Among the lowest stipend amounts seen for MBBS interns in government colleges.
2. Haryana — Around ₹12,000 per month
Stipends in this range place Haryana towards the bottom of the government stipend scale.
3. Jammu & Kashmir (before proposed revision) — ₹12,300 per month
Prior to the recent proposal, J&K interns were among the lower-paid across India.
Other states like Telangana (~₹12,167), Maharashtra (~₹11,000), Bihar (~₹15,000), and West Bengal (~₹16,590) also fall on the lower side of the national stipend range.
Across India, monthly stipends for MBBS interns vary from roughly ₹10,000 to ₹30,000+ depending on state government policies and institutional rules.
There is also sharp disparity between government and private colleges, with the latter often paying much less (sometimes as low as ₹2,000–₹10,000/month or even failing to pay at all), according to reports.
This inconsistency has led to calls from students and advocacy groups for uniform stipend norms nationwide, backed by regulatory frameworks. In fact, the Supreme Court of India has recently criticized regulatory bodies for failing to ensure stipend compliance by private institutions and directed action to collect full data on stipends.
The proposal to double MBBS and BDS intern stipends in Jammu & Kashmir is a welcome step towards recognizing the essential clinical contributions of medical trainees. While implementation is pending final approval, the move highlights broader concerns about stipend disparities across India, pointing to the need for more equitable and standardized compensation for interns nationwide.
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