The Uttar Pradesh government has doubled the monthly stipend for MBBS and BDS interns from Rs 12,000 to Rs 25,000, accepting a long-standing demand from medical interns. The state Cabinet approved the increase at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on August 25.

The revised stipend will apply to students who have completed their MBBS or BDS examinations and are undertaking their compulsory rotatory internship at government medical colleges, institutions and medical universities in Uttar Pradesh. Around 3,928 interns are expected to benefit.

The decision follows protests by medical interns in the state over the stipend. The previous amount of Rs 12,000 had been in place since 2021, when the government had raised it from Rs 7,500.

The hike takes the monthly allowance up by Rs 13,000, an increase of more than 108 per cent over the previous rate.

The government said the increase would provide financial relief to interns during their training. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said interns contribute to patient care through their postings in outpatient departments, wards and emergency services, as well as through night duties.

The internship is a mandatory part of medical and dental training. During the rotatory internship, graduates receive hands-on clinical experience while working in government hospitals and medical institutions. Their postings expose them to different areas of patient care rather than classroom-based training alone.

The latest decision also comes as Uttar Pradesh expands its medical education infrastructure. The state's 2026-27 Budget proposed Rs 14,997 crore for medical education, including Rs 1,023 crore for establishing and operating 14 new medical colleges.

The latest hike is the second revision under the Yogi Adityanath government, after the stipend was increased from Rs 7,500 to Rs 12,000 in 2021.