Amritsar, July 19 The Dental Students Association (DSA) of Punjab, in their memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, has demanded increase in monthly stipend. Association’s office-bearers said the BDS interns in Punjab Government Dental College and Hospital at Amritsar and Patiala get monthly stipend of Rs 9,000 during one year paid rotating internship under the BDS course, which is one of the lowest among all the institutions in the country. There has been no raise in monthly stipend for the last eight years. But the trend of fee structure for students admitted under the BDS course has been hiked 3.5 times in recent years. Dr Danish Khurana, president, DSA said, “We demand increase in our monthly stipend to at least two times (Rs 20,000). No government college in the country has got such a high fees for medical courses and such a low stipend for the same. Every medical student at higher secondary level prepares for entrance exam to get enrolled in government institution because of its affordable fees and for all the compensations done by getting stipend in the internship. But with the changing scenario in the government colleges’ fees, we hope that the proportion between the tuition fees and stipend will not be disturbed”. “We have raised the issue with Principal Secretary, Department of Finance, Director, DRME, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, but have got no response”, added Khurana.

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