Chandigarh: Dental college students threaten to go on indefinite hunger strike
The authorities held a meeting a some of the interns on the Panjab University campus, Chandigarh, but did not found a way to increase the stipend, say sources
After no concrete update was shared by the officials on the third day of their strike on Friday regarding a hike in stipend for students of Dr Harvansh Singh Judge (HSJ) Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Panjab University (PU), the protesters have now said they will go on an indefinite hunger strike from Monday onwards if their demands are not met by then.
The students, pursuing Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) courses, sat on a chain hunger strike on Friday, affecting OPD services at the institute.
As per sources, the authorities first held a meeting with some interns on the PU campus, along with both the dean students’ welfare and some of professors of the dental institute, to discuss the issue.
Later a meeting was also called by the Chandigarh administration with the officials of the institute.
However, as per sources, the authorities did not find a way to increase the stipend of the students. The students continued to remain on protest at Gate Number 1 at PU, stopping traffic and raising slogans against the authorities.
Institute representative Manas Grover, who is also an intern here, said the authorities had offered to form a task force, including students and faculty members, to resolve the issue but the protesting students had declined this.
The protesters maintain that they receive a stipend between ₹9,000 and ₹10,000 per month, which is unchanged since 2009 and much lower than the other institutes of the region.
The Panjab University senate had also decided to increase their stipend in 2022 but it hasn’t happened till now.
Panjab Universityofficials claim that this is a self-financed course and they can’t increase the stipend to match thatof institutes like Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, where MBBS interns get a stipend of ₹26,500.
