Students of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) pursuing BSc in Allied Health Sciences staged a protest on campus on Wednesday, February 4, demanding that they be paid stipends like students pursuing medical courses. They continued their protest on Thursday, February 5, too amid alleged threats from college authorities.
Students of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) pursuing BSc in Allied Health Sciences (AHS) staged a protest on campus on Wednesday, February 4, demanding stipends on par with students pursuing medical courses.
On Thursday, the students shifted their protest venue to Victoria Hospital, alleging intimidation by the administration, threatening punitive action.
Students allege that the administration had threatened to deduct internal marks if the protest continued and had warned that complaints could be filed with the police against students’ parents.
AHS students attend classes for three years and complete a mandatory one-year internship, involving 8–12 hour shifts similar to medical students. However, unlike MBBS interns, AHS interns do not receive stipends. AHS students handle critical technical roles in healthcare, including operating diagnostic equipment such as MRI machines.
The protesting students said their internship includes night shifts, day shifts, and continuous clinical duties across departments. Despite nearly a year of essential clinical work, they alleged they have not been paid any stipend.
Students also said the first batch of AHS students in 2009 had staged a similar protest, after which authorities reportedly promised stipends. However, they claim no stipend has been paid to date.
Rijesh* (name changed), a fourth-year student, told TNM, “I completed my degree in 2025, and yet I haven’t received a single paisa from the government or from our college. When we asked about it we were silenced, and there was no response from higher officials, including the Dean and faculty.”
Another final-year BSc student said government institutions such as Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH), Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics, and Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology provide stipends to AHS interns. “We aren’t asking for more. If an MBBS student gets Rs 15,000, we need half of it, or Rs 7,000 as a stipend,” she said.
Students said they are not allowed to stay in college hostels during their internship and are forced to live in paying guest accommodations, which adds to their financial burden.
Meanwhile, police intervened and attempted to persuade students to call off the strike.
Dr Kavya ST, Director-cum-Dean and Professor of General Medicine at BMCRI said that she has flagged the issue with the concerned authority.