Bhopal, September 8, 2026: As intern doctors marched towards the residence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav in Bhopal demanding a higher stipend, police used water cannons, triggering a wider protest which led to a boycott of routine outpatient services at government hospitals.
The doctors, including interns from Gandhi Medical College and Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal, are demanding that their monthly stipend be increased from ₹14,337 to at least ₹30,000.
Interns protesting over their stipend demands tried to march towards the Chief Minister's residence on September 7. A confrontation followed as police stopped them from moving ahead.
Reports said police had placed barricades around Hamidia Hospital and nearby areas before the march.
The interns attempted to go past the barricades but were halted by police near Moti Masjid Square.
Police then used water cannons to stop the protesters.
Bhaskar English reported that police stopped the doctors around 200 metres before the Chief Minister's residence. The report said one student was injured after being hit by the water cannon. Other injuries were also reported during the police action, although the exact number and nature of these injuries have not been independently confirmed through publicly available official medical records.
The protesting doctors also alleged that police assaulted them and carried out a lathi-charge. These allegations have been raised by the protesters and medical organisations, while the exact circumstances surrounding the alleged use of force are now part of an official inquiry.
The water cannon action prompted Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla to order an inquiry into the incident.
According to a report citing an order issued by the Bhopal Police Commissioner's Office, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-2, Vikas Sahwal, has been appointed as the inquiry officer.
The inquiry will examine the events surrounding the September 7 protest near the gate of Hamidia Hospital, including the use of water cannons. The investigating officer will record statements from the concerned parties and submit a report to the Police Commissioner.
Intern doctor Mohit Mishra told Dainik Jagran that the administration had given a verbal assurance about increasing the stipend around one and a half months earlier. However, the doctors said that no written government order had been issued as of yet.
The protesters have said they will continue their protest until the government issues a written order on the proposed stipend increase.
The dispute about the monthly stipend paid to doctors during the compulsory internship period after completing the MBBS course. Interns work in hospitals under supervision and rotate through different departments as part of their clinical training.
According to the doctors protesting in Madhya Pradesh, their stipend has not kept up with amounts offered in other states. They have pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh government recently approved an increase in the monthly internship stipend for MBBS and BDS students in government medical colleges from ₹12,000 to ₹25,000.
Jagran also reported that the protesters said the issue affected about 3,600 medical interns in Madhya Pradesh.
The protest continued on September 8, with intern doctors announcing a boycott of routine OPD services at government hospitals across Madhya Pradesh.
Reports said interns in cities including Bhopal, Indore and Ratlam stopped routine work as part of the agitation, while emergency medical services continued.
In Bhopal, protesting interns remained on the road near Kamla Park after the confrontation with police. Authorities increased security and blocked routes leading towards the Chief Minister's residence.
The protest and police restrictions also affected traffic in parts of the city.
The Junior Doctors Association, or JDA, extended support to the protesting interns following the water cannon incident.
Resident doctors at Hamidia Hospital also reportedly boycotted regular OPD services and elective operations on September 8 in support of the interns. Emergency services were kept outside the boycott.
JDA Madhya Pradesh vice-president Anurag Bharti said discussions had taken place with the district collector and the Commissioner of Medical Education, but the interns continued to press for an immediate decision on the stipend issue.
In addition, the interns want the police to be held accountable for their actions during the September 7 protest.
The JDA has said that it will take its next decision after further talks with the government and an assurance on their demands.
The Medical Teachers Association, Madhya Pradesh, also expressed support for the interns.
State president Dr. Rakesh Malviya met the protesting doctors and criticised the reported use of water cannons and alleged lathi-charge during the protest.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, or ABVP, also condemned the police action. The organisation said students had the democratic right to raise their demands peacefully and sought an impartial inquiry into the incident and treatment for injured interns.
The Federation of All India Medical Association, or FAIMA, also called for dialogue to resolve the issue.
Dr. Akash Soni, a national spokesperson for FAIMA India, said the organisation had written to the Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister on July 27 regarding the interns' demands.
According to Dr. Soni, the issue had not received a concrete resolution. He said the government should address the matter through dialogue.
The Madhya Pradesh protest comes amid similar demands from medical interns in other parts of India.
MBBS interns in Uttarakhand are on strike for an increase in their monthly stipend from $17,000 to $30,000.
Reports said interns at government medical colleges in the state stopped routine work while continuing emergency services. Resident doctors in Uttarakhand have also extended support to the agitation.
In Jammu and Kashmir, MBBS and BDS interns have been protesting since August 31 over their demand to increase their monthly stipend from ₹12,300 to ₹30,000.
The United Doctors Front (UDF), has also raised concerns over the ongoing stipend issue affecting MBBS and BDS interns in Jammu and Kashmir.
On September 6, UDF called for an increase in the intern stipend from ₹12,300 to ₹30,000. As part of their training and patient care responsibilities, interns perform duties in outpatient departments, hospital wards, emergency services and night shifts.
UDF urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to expedite a decision on the stipend issue and called for the necessary financial approvals and a formal government order.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that the issue is under consideration. However, protesting interns have demanded a formal government order confirming the increase.
Due to simultaneous protests in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir, internship stipends have attracted renewed attention. Stipend amounts and administrative processes vary between states and institutions.
Some medical organisations have called for a uniform national stipend system for MBBS interns. However, such a system has not been implemented as a nationwide policy.
The intern doctors' agitation in Madhya Pradesh remained ongoing as of September 8, with the doctors maintaining that they would continue their protest until the government issued a written order.
(Rh/MSM)