• An RTI reply from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, reportedly states that 30 postgraduate (MD/MS) students sought psychiatric consultation in 2025.
• The Department of Psychiatry provided the information in response to an RTI seeking details on postgraduate duty hours, weekly offs, and mental health support systems.
• The institute reportedly did not provide data on duty schedules, leave patterns, or postgraduate attrition, citing lack of available records for certain queries.
A Right to Information (RTI) response from the Department of Psychiatry at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, has revealed that 30 postgraduate medical students (MD/MS) sought psychiatric consultation during 2025.
The information was provided in response to an RTI application filed by activist J. Swamidass, who sought details regarding postgraduate doctors' duty hours, weekly offs, course attrition, and mental health support.
According to the RTI response shared publicly by Swamidass, "30 post graduate medical students (MD/MS) took Psychiatric consultation in the year 2025 (January 2025–December 2025)."
The Department of Psychiatry reportedly did not provide information on certain other queries, including duty schedules, weekly offs, and the number of postgraduate students who discontinued their courses, stating that the information was not available with the department.
Following the RTI disclosure, Swamidass shared the document on X and alleged that some resident doctors at JIPMER experience excessive duty hours, workplace stress, and ragging by senior residents.
In his public post, Swamidass described JIPMER as a "toxic centre" and claimed that junior residents in certain departments face prolonged duty schedules and limited opportunities for rest. He also made specific allegations regarding residency practices in the orthopaedics department, including extended work hours and restricted weekly leave.
However, the RTI response itself does not provide evidence linking psychiatric consultations to workload, residency conditions, departmental practices, or ragging allegations. No official statement from JIPMER connecting the consultations to workplace factors was available at the time of reporting.
Psychiatric consultations among resident doctors are often viewed within the broader framework of occupational stress in clinical training environments.
Postgraduate medical education in India involves long clinical postings, emergency rotations, and continuous academic responsibilities, which can vary across specialties and institutions despite existing duty-hour frameworks.
Sustained stress, sleep disruption, and high clinical responsibility are commonly associated with burnout, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among young doctors. In this context, access to psychiatric support services forms an important component of institutional healthcare systems for resident welfare.
However, the JIPMER RTI response does not provide any clinical interpretation, causation, or linkage between consultations and working conditions.
The latest disclosure follows earlier RTI findings cited by Medical Dialogues regarding postgraduate training at JIPMER.
According to those reports, between 2020 and 2024, a total of 200 postgraduate students reportedly sought psychiatric counselling, while 12 postgraduate students were admitted to psychiatric wards for depression- or stress-related concerns. The same RTI data also indicated that 276 postgraduate students left their courses during the five-year period.
While these figures have contributed to ongoing discussions about resident welfare and institutional support systems, they do not independently establish the reasons behind psychiatric consultations or course discontinuations.
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The JIPMER RTI disclosure has renewed attention on physician well-being and mental health support within postgraduate medical education.
Across India, professional bodies and healthcare organizations have increasingly emphasized the importance of accessible mental health services, confidential counseling mechanisms, anti-ragging safeguards, and supportive learning environments for resident doctors.
Although the RTI confirms that 30 postgraduate trainees sought psychiatric consultation in 2025, it does not explain the underlying reasons for those consultations. The disclosure nevertheless highlights the growing importance of monitoring resident well-being and ensuring that medical trainees have access to appropriate psychological support throughout their training.
(Rh/TP/MSM)