The uptick has surprised academicians, who say that it could be attributed to students pursuing medical education at institutions abroad. (Representational)The Uttar Pradesh government has increased the monthly internship stipend for MBBS and BDS graduates from Rs 12,000 to Rs 25,000. The decision was approved by the state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday and will benefit around 3,928 medical and dental interns across the state.The revised stipend will apply to students undergoing mandatory rotating internships after completing their MBBS or BDS examinations from government medical colleges, institutions and medical universities in Uttar Pradesh. The state had last revised the stipend in 2021, when it was increased from Rs 7,500 to Rs 12,000.The rotating internship is a mandatory part of medical training after the MBBS and BDS courses. During this period, interns work alongside doctors at government medical institutions and are involved in patient care across wards, outpatient departments and emergency services. They may also be assigned night duties as part of their clinical training. The increase will therefore raise the monthly financial support available to students during this training period.The latest decision comes as Uttar Pradesh, in the 2026-27 state budget, proposed an allocation of Rs 14,997 crore for medical education. The Budget also proposed Rs 1,023 crore for the establishment and operation of 14 new medical colleges.According to the state budget document, Uttar Pradesh currently has 81 medical colleges, including 45 government-run and 36 private institutions. Medical college facilities currently cover 60 districts, while the government has proposed establishing medical colleges in 16 districts that do not have such facilities through the public-private partnership (PPP) model.The expansion has also been accompanied by an increase in medical seats. The number of MBBS seats in government and private medical institutions has risen from 4,540 in 2017 to 12,800, while postgraduate medical seats have increased from 1,221 to 4,995, according to the 2026-27 Budget document.The Budget also included Rs 315 crore for the Cancer Institute in Lucknow and Rs 130 crore for free medical treatment for incurable diseases. The state has also proposed using PPP arrangements to extend medical college facilities to districts that remain without such institutions.Story continues below this adThe increase in the internship stipend is thus part of a broader expansion of medical education capacity in the state, alongside efforts to increase the number of medical colleges and undergraduate and postgraduate seats.(With agency inputs)