Dehradun – Aiming to attract medical professionals to its remote districts, the Uttarakhand Cabinet has sanctioned a new salary matrix for resident doctors and demonstrators attached to state‑run medical colleges. The revised pay bands add a location‑based premium for postings in the hilly zones, where chronic understaffing has hampered public health services.
Senior residents enjoy a substantial raise
From today onward, senior residents posted in the mountains will draw Rs 1.10 lakh per month, up from the earlier Rs 90,000. Their peers serving on the plains will see their remuneration rise to Rs 1.05 lakh, a jump from Rs 84,000.
Junior residents also see an uplift
Junior residents assigned to hill stations will now be paid Rs 85,000 monthly, replacing the previous Rs 76,000. Those stationed in flatter areas will have their salary increased to Rs 80,000, up from Rs 71,000.
Demonstrators’ salaries adjusted similarly
The same differential has been extended to demonstrators. In mountain postings, their monthly earnings will climb to Rs 85,000 (formerly Rs 76,000), while demonstrators on the plains will receive Rs 80,000 instead of Rs 71,000.
Why the location‑based distinction?
Officials clarified that the higher compensation for hill assignments is intended to make these posts more appealing, thereby narrowing the persistent vacancy gap in Uttarakhand’s rugged districts. The revised figures are also expected to aid medical colleges in retaining residents, strengthening both patient care and academic programs.
Current staffing records reveal that the state’s government medical colleges employ 251 junior residents, 246 senior residents, and 134 demonstrators. The salary enhancements will translate into a noticeable increase in monthly earnings for each category.
Tackling the doctor shortage
This move comes amid ongoing concerns about inadequate doctor numbers in public hospitals, particularly in high‑altitude districts where many specialties function below sanctioned strength. By offering a financial incentive, the government hopes to persuade more physicians to accept or continue hill‑area postings, easing the strain on understaffed facilities.
Alongside 23 additional proposals spanning development, education, governance, and public services, the salary revision was highlighted as a pivotal step toward bolstering Uttarakhand’s healthcare delivery system.
