Ludhiana: Vet varsity interns to skip Diwali celebration amid stipend protest

The union said that the decision reflects the growing discontent among the students, who have been on a peaceful, indefinite strike for the last 24 days at the university’s veterinary hospital

The Veterinary Students’ Union, which has been on a sit-in protest for 24 days now has announced that they won’t celebrate the upcoming festival of Diwali, as their longstanding demand of increasing the stipend for veterinary interns remains unaddressed.

Many students will remain away from their families during Diwali as the sit-in protest continues. (HT Photo)

The union, in a press release issued on Saturday, said that the decision reflects the growing discontent among the students, who have been on a peaceful, indefinite strike for the last 24 days at the university’s veterinary hospital.

“Despite the prolonged nature of the protest, no government minister has yet visited the site or directly engaged with the students. The union has repeatedly requested a meeting with Punjab’s finance minister, Harpal Singh Cheema, but no response has been received to date,” said the union.

The students expressed disappointment over what they called “apparent lack of concern shown by the government, particularly in light of its stated commitments to improving the education and health sectors.”

Many students will remain away from their families during this auspicious festival as the sit in protest continues.

Although a meeting was held last week with the principal secretary (finance), the union claimed that no tangible progress has been made. Police officials — DSP Jatinderpal, SHO Vijay Kumar, and SHO Aditya Sharma — along with senior university authorities, including the dean of the College of Veterinary Science, the dean of Postgraduate Studies, and the director student welfare, assured the students on Monday that a meeting with the finance minister would be arranged before October 25. However, no official confirmation or update has been provided so far.

The primary demand of the Veterinary Students’ Union is an increase in the internship stipend from ₹15,000 to ₹24,310, in line with stipends provided in neighbouring states. The union has also pointed out that while the stipend is jointly funded by the university and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the government of Punjab currently does not contribute to this funding.

The union also pointed out that postgraduate (MVSc) scholars in disciplines such as surgery, medicine, gynaecology, and non-clinical departments, receive no stipend. The students have described this situation as a “grave injustice and a blow to the dignity of the veterinary profession.”

Reaffirming their commitment to a peaceful and disciplined protest, the Veterinary Students’ Union has expressed hope for a timely and favourable resolution. However, they cautioned that the agitation will be intensified if the government continues to remain unresponsive.