Demanding hike in stipend, veterinary students stage protest

CHENNAI: About 200 students of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) entered an indefinite protest here on Monday, demanding a stipend hike of Rs 25,000 and an annual 3 per cent increment in internship allowance on par with medical students.

This is the second protest by the students in three months after a similar one was held in July, where they were given verbal confirmation on the hike by Anitha Radhakrishnan, Minister of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.

Speaking to DT Next, M Hariharan, a final year student currently on internship said, “Every time we enquire about the hike, the department says the files are waiting for approval. Hence to get the hike at the earliest, we have decided to protest until our concerns are resolved.”

“The current monthly stipend of Rs 10,500 does not cover our basic expenditures. Hence, most of us who are first-generation graduates are forced to depend on our parents, who are farmers,” added Hariharan.

Across four Veterinary institutions in Namakkal, Tirunelveli, and Orathanadu, including one in Chennai, as many as 352 students are finishing their fourth year, while waiting for a one-year internship.

But, students say the internship allowance hasn’t been increased for a long time. “Our internships at various locations were scheduled to begin on October 10. But, as the internship allowance has not been hiked, we are yet to join work,” said a student protestor.

Additionally, students allege that stipends given at other Veterinary Universities in Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Banaras are higher compared to one given for students in Tamil Nadu.

“The long ongoing pandemic and epidemiological incidents in humans have proved the need for veterinarians and their contribution to society is no less than that of medical graduates. Hence we urge for a hike in stipend and allowance to perform our job better,” pointed out a final-year student.