More than 150 veterinary students of the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izzatnagar, staged a protest on Tuesday over the stipend paid during their mandatory internship.
The students said they currently receive Rs 3,000 per month for six months, while the compulsory practical training under the Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (BVSc & AH) course lasts for 12 months. They are demanding a stipend of Rs 25,000 per month for the entire internship period.
The students also asked the institute to review the difference between the stipend at IVRI and other veterinary institutions. They sought greater transparency in the stipend system and a written, time-bound response from the authorities.
According to PTI, the protesting students, veterinary interns at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) receive around Rs 23,500 per month. They said the stipend at Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Haryana is around Rs 24,310, while Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Punjab pays around Rs 22,500.
The students said interns handle clinical training along with professional and practical duties during the internship. They added that the issue had been raised earlier with the institute and authorities but had not been resolved.
"We want a respectable stipend commensurate with the responsibilities placed on interns. If the 12-month internship is mandatory, the stipend should also be paid for all 12 months," a student representative said.
The students are scheduled to appear for their professional examinations later this month and will begin their mandatory internship after the exams. They have submitted a memorandum seeking action on their demands before the internship starts.
The protesters said they would continue their agitation peacefully and would not affect veterinary services, emergency treatment or patient care.
