Dehradun — To attract medical professionals to its far‑flung locales, the Uttarakhand government has sanctioned a new salary framework for resident doctors and demonstrators attached to state‑run medical colleges. The revised pay bands include a location‑based premium for postings in the mountainous zones, where chronic understaffing has hampered service delivery.
Senior residents receive a notable increase
From today onward, senior residents assigned to hill hospitals will draw Rs 1.10 lakh per month, up from the earlier Rs 90,000. Their counterparts on the plains will see their remuneration rise to Rs 1.05 lakh, compared with Rs 84,000 previously.
Junior residents also see a boost
Junior residents posted in the highlands will now earn Rs 85,000 monthly, a rise from Rs 76,000. Those stationed in the low‑lying areas will have their salary lifted to Rs 80,000, up from Rs 71,000.
Adjusted wages for demonstrators
The same differential has been applied to demonstrators. In hill assignments, their monthly pay will climb to Rs 85,000 (previously Rs 76,000), while demonstrators on the plains will receive Rs 80,000, up from Rs 71,000.
Reason behind the differentiated scale
Officials say the higher compensation for mountain posts is intended to make these positions more appealing, thereby closing the long‑standing vacancy gap in government hospitals across Uttarakhand’s rugged districts. The new figures are also expected to aid medical colleges in retaining residents, strengthening both patient care and academic programmes.
Current staffing records indicate that the state's government medical colleges employ 251 junior residents, 246 senior residents, and 134 demonstrators. The salary revisions will translate into a considerable rise in monthly earnings for each of these groups.
Tackling the doctor shortage
This move comes as the state continues to grapple with a shortage of physicians in public health facilities, especially in high‑altitude districts where many departments function below sanctioned strength. By providing a financial incentive, the government hopes to persuade more doctors to accept, or remain in, hill‑area assignments, relieving pressure on understaffed hospitals.
Among 23 additional proposals covering development, education, governance and public services, the salary overhaul was highlighted as a pivotal step toward bolstering Uttarakhand’s health‑care delivery system.
