Nepali students studying in various government medical colleges in India are shocked by not getting a monthly stipend. At the Prime Minister's level, India agreed a year ago, but Nepali students have not received stipends. There are more than 150 students studying in Delhi University's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Chandigarh's Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and Puducherry's Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER). If that decision is implemented, they will receive up to one lakh rupees monthly. When there is no stipend, the students are living at the hostel and eating out.
For this, they are obliged to pay for their monthly expenses while they are on duty for 24 consecutive hours. 'Decision is not implemented, but who have stopped it? We are feeling cheated,” said Suman Rastogi, MD, at JIPMER. The demand for Nepalese student stipend is not new. They have been raising it for more than 3 years. They even knocked on the court door for a stipend. The Delhi High Court's Single Session in 2013 decided to give a stipend to the student within 12 weeks, but AIIMS reviewed the decision in a larger session. The issue is pending. The student says that AIIMS is reluctant to give a stipend, excusing the pending case in court.
The students have taken the diplomatic route after seeing that legal treatment is not possible. Before every top-level visit, the Nepalese side is pushing the issue. Prior to Oli's visit to India last year, he visited Kathmandu and handed over letters to the Indian Prime Minister and. On behalf of the students, Dr. Sagar Poudel had informed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali. According to foreign sources, Oli raised the issue during Modi's visit to Nepal. Prime Minister Oli himself had even informed Parliament at the time when the issue was raised.
After receiving instructions from the Prime Minister's level, the Health Ministry of India had written to all three medical colleges demanding that the subject be taken positively and implemented. Chandigarh's (PGIMER) even demanded a bank account with the student. The administration of Pondicherry (JIPMER) provided informal information to the students who had received the letter and made a file in the name of everyone in the accounting department. AIIMS in Delhi did not provide any information in that regard.
According to the student, the AIIMS Standing Committee did not approve of the decision of the Ministry of Health. "Even after explaining the details of the account, the process of health check-up was also completed before taking the salary," said Bipin Kumar Yadav, MD, PGIMR, with Kantipur.
Nepalese Ambassador to India, Nilambar Acharya, said that he had placed the issue several times before the Indian side. "I have raised this issue many times, the Indian side is also positive but it is a wonder why it is not being implemented," he said. He said he was optimistic about implementation soon.
The Indian Foreign Ministry official did not provide a clear response in this regard. They only said the process was moving forward. Nepalese students have not lost hope. They are confident that the Nepalese side will raise the issue vigorously at the fifth meeting of the Foreign Ministry-level Joint Committee in Kathmandu next month. For this, they have already requested a formal letter to Foreign Minister Gyawali. Dr. who reached Kathmandu to submit the same letter. Poudel told Kantipur, "I have met Foreign Minister and Secretary Shankar Vairagi and informed them about the stipend, and they have promised to keep the matter in the upcoming meeting."
Sing the Hope:
Despite the lack of stipend, the Nepalese students have been complaining to the Indian government for not allowing the health service to be affected. They are not completely distracted by their medical religion. As a result, they are being praised. The situation was affecting the entire service after the AIIMS physician stormed the strike against the National Medical Council Bill brought by the Modi government last week. The Nepalese students did not allow the service to be affected by the twenty-four hours. Even the hospital administration, which was ill, praised the work. This kind of positive role played by Nepalese students was praised in the Indian media as well. The Indian English daily The Hindustan Times published the news praising Nepali as 'assistance of foreign students in crisis'.
(The sources of news is Kantipur Daily dated on 13th August 2019 and translated by Collegenp for educational Purpose only)
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