Raise monthly stipend of MBBS interns to Rs 30,000 at least: Digvijaya urges MP goverment

BHOPAL: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday wrote a letter to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, demanding that the monthly stipend paid to MBBS interns in the state be increased from the current Rs 14,337 to a minimum of Rs 30,000. A delegation of MBBS interns in the state held a meeting with Singh.

During the meeting, they informed the former Madhya Pradesh CM that there are a total of 3,655 MBBS interns in government and private medical colleges in the state, of whom 2,055 are studying in state-run colleges.

Despite this, they are being paid a very low stipend compared to many other states in the country, he said.

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Increase stipends for MBBS interns

In his letter to the CM, Singh said the stipend for MBBS interns in Madhya Pradesh is very low. The annual tuition fee is approximately Rs 1 lakh, while interns are paid a stipend of only Rs 14,337 per month.

"In contrast, in states like Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, interns are paid much higher stipends despite relatively lower fees," he said. According to available data, MP ranks fifth in the country in terms of MBBS fees and around 25th in terms of stipends paid to interns. "This situation reflects the state government's insensitivity towards medical education and students," he said, urging the CM to sympathetically consider raising the amount to a minimum of Rs 30,000.