Wasik Murtaza

SRINAGAR: Nursing students enrolled in BSc programs at government colleges across Jammu and Kashmir are calling on the authorities to provide them with a monthly stipend during their internship period, something they say is already being given to their counterparts in other parts of the country.

In a formal appeal addressed to Health and Medical Education Minister Sakeena Itoo, the students pointed out that BSc Nursing interns in several Indian states receive a monthly stipend of around ₹13,500, roughly half of what MBBS interns are paid. They argue that this allowance is not just a bonus but a necessity, considering the academic workload and personal expenses they shoulder during the six-month internship.

“It’s unfair that we’re not given any financial support during such a crucial part of our training,” said one of the students. “We undergo the same rigorous clinical practice as others, yet we’re left out.”

In Jammu and Kashmir, MBBS and GNM (General Nursing and Midwifery) students do get paid during their internships but BSc Nursing students have so far been excluded, a gap that students say is hard to justify.

Following the students’ appeal, Minister Itoo directed senior officials, including the Administrative Secretary and Director Finance, to look into the matter. In response, the Director Finance requested all concerned colleges to submit data on enrolled students along with their recommendations regarding the stipend proposal.

So far, government nursing colleges in districts like Anantnag, Baramulla, Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Kathua, and Doda have reportedly sent in the required details. A few institutions, however, have yet to do so prompting the department to issue a reminder on May 6.

“We’re waiting for the remaining colleges to submit their student information,” an official from the Health and Medical Education Department said. “Once that’s done, we can move the proposal to the Finance Department for further consideration.”

Meanwhile, students remain hopeful. They believe that if approved, the stipend would bring a long-overdue sense of fairness and much-needed relief to those currently navigating their internships without any financial backing.