Amaravati, Sep 22: The Andhra Pradesh government has fixed a uniform annual hike of 3.5 per cent in the stipend of medical students from January 1, 2027, a move rejected by the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors’ Association (APJUDA), which has been seeking a 30 per cent increase.
The decision was issued through Government Order (G.O.) Ms. No. 141 on September 21, nearly a month after junior doctors called off their strike over the delayed stipend revision.
For the current year, the government has approved a 10 per cent hike for MBBS and BDS interns and a 5 per cent increase for postgraduate, super-speciality, MDS and DNB students.
Following the revision, the stipend of a house surgeon will increase from Rs 25,906 to Rs 28,497, while that of a first-year postgraduate student will rise from Rs 60,823 to Rs 63,864. The stipend for a third-year super-speciality student will increase from Rs 85,100 to Rs 89,355.
The revision will entail an additional annual expenditure of around Rs 34.08 crore for the state government, according to the order.
The dispute followed the delay in implementing the stipend revision due from January 1, 2026, under a 2009 order that provided for periodic increases.
The APJUDA had demanded a 30 per cent hike, citing inflation over the past two years and increased workload. Junior doctors went on strike in August and called it off on August 25 after the High Court directed the state government to address their concerns.
An expert committee constituted to examine the issue had initially recommended a 10 per cent hike for MBBS and BDS interns and 4 per cent for postgraduate and other categories in 2026, followed by a 3 per cent annual increase from 2027.
The government subsequently decided to provide a 5 per cent hike to junior doctors and other specified categories in 2026 and fixed the annual increase from 2027 at 3.5 per cent.
The APJUDA, however, expressed disappointment and asked the government to reconsider the order.The association said it “did not accept the revision” and alleged that the decision was taken “unilaterally”, without an agreement or its acceptance of the final percentage and terms.
