Srinagar, Sep 15: The ongoing protest by veterinary interns at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) entered its ninth consecutive day on Tuesday, with students maintaining a complete boycott of clinical and field duties as they press for a substantial revision of their monthly stipend.
The protesting interns, assembled at the SKUAST-K campus, chanted slogans demanding pay parity. They highlighted that their current stipend falls drastically below the basic cost of living and fails to reflect the intense physical labour and hazardous conditions associated with veterinary field services.
Interns are demanding an upward revision of their monthly allowance.
“Yet, nine days in, no official notification or concrete commitment has been issued. We cannot feed our families on promises alone, and we will not return to work until an official order is released.”
The deadlock continues despite recent government outreach. Protesters noted that they met the Minister for Agriculture Production, Animal/Sheep Husbandry, and Fisheries, Javid Ahmad Dar, at the Secretariat, who assured a delegation of student representatives that the administration would find a solution through a set process.
President JKVSA Saqlain Rashid said the delegation, which included two professors, met the Agriculture Minister around 11:30 am on Monday and discussed the pending proposal concerning the stipend hike.
Rashid said the minister informed the delegation that the proposal for 2024 had been sent directly to the Finance Department, whereas the prescribed procedure requires it to be routed through the Agriculture Production Department (APD).
According to Rashid, the minister advised the university authorities to prepare a fresh proposal and ensure that it is first routed through the APD before being forwarded to the Finance Department.
“He also assured us that if the file reaches him within 30 days, he will make efforts to get it cleared within 20 days,” Rashid said, adding that the minister addressed the concerns raised by the delegation and gave them adequate time to explain their demands.
Rashid said the minister also spoke to the Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, during the meeting and asked him to initiate a fresh proposal through the proper channel.
Following the meeting with the minister, the delegation also met the Vice Chancellor, who, according to Rashid, assured them that the fresh proposal would be prepared soon.
“The Vice Chancellor told us that the fresh proposal should be completed by tomorrow,” Rashid said.
The protracted strike has begun affecting routine operations across the university’s ambulatory clinics, regional veterinary hospital facilities, and rural extension centres. While permanent faculty and resident doctors are attempting to manage the patient load, the absence of interns—who form the backbone of daily triage, surgery assistance, and field treatment—has slowed diagnostic and clinical services.
