MORE than 300 Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) internship students, led by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), staged a protest march and established a human chain on Tuesday, demanding stipend parity with Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) interns. The demonstration commenced at the Government Autonomous Ayurveda College and Hospital in Gwarighat and proceeded to Jhanda Chowk. Upon reaching the square, students formed a human chain and raised slogans to draw public and administrative attention to existing economic disparities among medical streams. Protesters highlighted that BAMS interns currently receive Rs 9,383 per month, compared to Rs 21,500 monthly stipend awarded to MBBS interns. Student representatives argued that AYUSH interns perform identical duties during their mandatory one-year clinical training, actively managing outpatient and inpatient departments, clinical rounds, and patient care.

 

Addressing the gathering, ABVP State Secretary Suvrat Bazal asserted that AYUSH interns are directly engaged in routine healthcare delivery and patient management. He emphasised that financial discrimination is unjustified given equal clinical workloads, advocating for equal remuneration for equal work across all AYUSH disciplines. Jigyasa Aayam State Convener Amit Singh noted that internship stipends serve as a key institutional assessment parameter under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) framework, calling for an immediate official review. Furthermore, ABVP Jabalpur Mahanagar Secretary Aryan Punj cautioned that demonstrations would escalate, with plans to submit a formal memorandum to the Chief Minister if demands remain unaddressed.