Vet varsity interns meet Finance Minister, seek hike in stipend

A delegation of veterinary interns from Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, met Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to put forward their demand of increase in their monthly internship stipend.

The delegation, representing the Veterinary Students’ Union, included Dr Kamalpreet Singh, Dr Virat Kakkar, Dr Prabdeep Sahota, Dr Manavpreet Kaur, and Dr Nishtha Piplani. During the meeting, the interns submitted a formal letter outlining their demands and concerns regarding the existing stipend structure.

According to the representatives, GADVASU, which is ranked among nation’s premier veterinary universities, currently provides interns with a stipend of only ?500 per day. They pointed out that the amount is significantly lower as compared to stipends offered by veterinary universities in neighbouring states such as Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi). Additionally, they highlighted that their academic fees are substantially higher

than those of the aforementioned institutions.

The students also expressed disappointment that while the state government recently approved hike in stipend for MBBS and BDS interns, a similar revision has not been extended to veterinary interns. They emphasised the demanding nature of their internship duties, including 24-hour emergency services, which involve managing a heavy clinical case load with utmost dedication.

In light of these concerns, the interns have demanded to increase their stipend to ?24,310 per month, which they believe would be a fair reflection of their efforts and responsibilities. Despite holding several meetings with key stakeholders, including Animal Husbandry Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, Principal Secretary of Animal Husbandry, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora and the Vice-Chancellor of GADVASU, the interns stated that no concrete action had been taken so far.

The Veterinary Students’ Union has urged the government to take immediate steps to address the issue, warning that failure to do so might result in intensified protests.