Bleak future for pre- and paraclinical postgraduates in India

In a bid to encourage medical graduates to opt for postgraduation in pre- and paraclinical courses, the Odisha Government, in January 2018, hiked the stipend for students pursuing these courses in state-run medical colleges. The state government also announced additional financial assistance of Rs 18,000 per month for pre- and paraclinical postgraduate students, along with the stipend money. The state's Health and Family Welfare Minister, Pratap Jena, said this would be applicable to both in-service and direct postgraduate students. This announcement in the newspapers gave rise to much discussion in the social media.