Veterinary students stage protest, demand higher stipend in Bengaluru and Rewa
Around 250 undergraduate students at the Government Veterinary College, Hebbal, protested on Monday, demanding an increase in the stipend they get during internship. Same kind of protests are in Rewa Madhya Pradesh, where 38 students of Rewa Veterinary college are on fast onto death for same demands.
Students in the other four colleges under the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University — in Bidar, Hassan, Shivamogga and Gadag — are also protesting. Students who finish the four-and-a-half year Bachelors in Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry course have to do a one-year internship afterwards. The monthly stipend they get over this period is Rs 17,500.
Students demand this should be increased to Rs 30,000, on par with that of MBBS graduates. The stipend was last increased eight years ago.
Of the Rs 17,500, the state government gives Rs 14,000 and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) the remaining Rs 3,000. But the ICAR component is available only during half the internship period.
“In the one-year internship, we have to spend the first six months in different institutions within the same district. In the next five months after this, we have to travel and work in other districts in Karnataka, and in the last month, we have to work in another state. The stipend is insufficient to cover travel and other costs,” said Arpit Manwani, a final-year student.
“For over a year, we have been petitioning Animal Husbandry Minister Prabhu Chauhan and other ministers, but there is no response.”
While the students tried to protest at the main gate of the university, the police asked them to move into the campus. “We will continue the protest within the campus for the next two days.
Students at Gadag and Bidar are conducting a rally to their district deputy commissioner’s offices.
they say “We at least need an assurance from the government regarding our demand.” The hospital gets around 200 OPD tickets daily. While final year students’ services were unavailable on the day, doctors and PG students were present.
Dr H C Indresh, assistant professor at the college and also president of the university’s teachers’ association said: “The management can’t directly support the protest. But their demands are fair. These are bright students, mostly from rural areas.” The internship duration was increased from six months to one year post-2016, but the stipend didn’t increase proportionately, he said, adding that states like Kerala and Gujarat pay a higher stipend. The Karnataka Veterinary Association is supporting the protest.
In Rewa veterinary students are protesting since 19 days
Veterinarian students of Rewa veterinary college have been on strike for the last 19 days. In 2012, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh had announced that internship honorarium should be equal to medical, which has not yet been implemented. 38 Students have started hunger on 24th February. A huge rally was taken out by the students of the college. Rally was taken out and memorandum was handed over to the Chief Minister.
