64 MBBS interns suspended at Telangana private medical college for protesting non-payment of stipend
The suspension order, issued on July 3, lists the names of 64 interns and states that the action is based on a disciplinary committee's report. 'The following interns of the institute are suspended from their duties for a period of one week with effect from July 3 to July 10. They have to resume duties on July 11,' the notice reads.
The interns at the college agitated for more than two months, alleging that despite a 2023 Government Order (G.O.) mandating a stipend of ₹25,906 per month for MBBS interns across both government and private medical colleges in Telangana, CAIMS has been paying only ₹2,000 per month. A revised G.O. issued on June 28, 2025 further increased the stipend to ₹29,792, but students say the new amount is also not being honoured.
The suspension comes in the wake of a protest organised on July 1, National Doctors Day, when a group of MBBS interns staged a peaceful protest on campus. The college management reportedly called in the police, leading to a scuffle. 'We have videos that clearly show the police being rude and aggressive with students who were protesting peacefully,' said one of the suspended interns.
Speaking to The Hindu, another intern said, 'Anyone who tries to raise their voice individually is threatened with academic retaliation which would make us ineligible for NEET-PG. So most of us remain silent. The suspension is a way to crush our collective protest.'
Attempts by The Hindu to reach S.A. Asaim, principal of CAIMS, for comment went unanswered.
In response to the incident, the Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA) has extended support to the protesting interns and condemned both the suspension and alleged police aggression.
In a statement, JUDA said, 'A group of young doctors engaged in peaceful protest to raise legitimate demands for basic rights and minimum stipends were reportedly subjected to verbal abuse, manhandling, intimidation, and threats by a police officer on campus. The harassment continued with college management summoning students, using abusive language, and ordering suspensions.'
JUDA has urged the Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narsimha to intervene demanding immediate revocation of the suspensions, and disciplinary action against both the police officials and the college administration for their alleged role in harassing students.
The issue of non-payment of stipend is not limited to CAIMS alone. Similar complaints have emerged from MBBS interns at several other private medical colleges across Telangana.
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