DNB students at GMC Anantnag lodge protest to seek stipends

Anantnag, Dec 16: “Toppers in education, but paupers in real life”, reads a placard held by a DNB student during a sit-in protest in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Scores of DNB students at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag are without stipends over the last seven months, spurring them to stage sit-in protests outside the college.

At least 36 students pursuing DNB courses in different streams have not been provided stipends since April.

Most of these students are from other states and have to face immense hardships due to the non-payment of their monthly stipends. At least 30 of us are non-locals belonging to states like Maharashtra, Telangana, UP and Bihar. It has become very difficult for us to meet our daily expenses”, said Dr Ruchika Pawar, a DNB student.

She said that at least 3 students left their course half way due to the non-payment of their stipends.

“Some of the students are married and they are unable to provide for their families,” said Dr Pawar.

The students said that the winters exacerbated their difficulties as they had to pay additional charges for heating arrangements.

“We are putting up in rented accommodations. We have to use heating appliances, which incur higher electricity charges”, said the students.

They said that they had called off their strike in September following the assurances by the authorities.

“After we called on some senior officials, we were told that our stipend would be released in 15 days. But it turned out to be mere lip service”, said the students.

They said that they were enrolled in the college after qualifying NEET PG, which is one of the toughest competitive examinations. “But now we are forced to live a miserable life”, they said.

On July 19, Principal GMC Anantnag Dr Tariq Syed Qureshi (now retired) had sent a letter to the Secretary Health and Medical Education seeking release of additional funds under the “scholarship and stipend” head.

“It is intimated that 44 candidates are pursuing their DNB courses in different streams of this college presently. However, the budgetary provisions under the ‘Stipend and Scholarship’ head are not enough to meet out their monthly stipend,” reads the letter.

The official, in the letter, mentioned that 50 percent share amounting to Rs 52.5 lakh already received had been exhausted fully for the stipend of these candidates since their joining till March 2023.