Uttar Pradesh MBBS doctors protest over pay disparity, pending salary arrears; announce work boycott

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Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) doctors serving under mandatory Uttar Pradesh government service bond rules protested in Lucknow on Tuesday (October 13, 2026), demanding equal pay for equal work and the release of pending salary arrears, leading to a standoff and clash with police.

The doctors also announced a work boycott, adding that no action or decision has been taken despite assurances regarding addressing salary disparity.

“While working at Primary Health Centres (PHC), I receive only around ₹50,000, while batchmates with the same qualification posted in government medical colleges receive a much higher salary in the scale of level-10; even doctors working in the same Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Community Health Centres (CHC) receive over one lakh a month, as they are employed under the National Health Mission (NHM). We are demanding pay parity; our qualifications are the same,” said Animesh Kumar, an MBBS doctor.

Uttar Pradesh requires a two-year compulsory service bond for students with an MBBS or BDS from a State-run government medical college.