No end in sight for veterinary students’ protests over stipend

Tirupati : The fight for fair stipends at Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University (SVVU) shows no signs of slowing down, as students continue their indefinite strike despite government inaction. For 24 days, they have boycotted academic activities, with a relay hunger strike running for 20 days straight, underscoring their mounting frustration.

At the heart of their demand is a long-overdue revision of stipends, which have remained un-changed for 13 years. Undergraduate interns currently receive Rs 7,000 per month, postgradu-ate students Rs 9,000, and PhD scholars Rs 10,000 — figures they argue are unfairly low com-pared to medical students in similar-duration courses who earn over Rs 20,000. The protesters are calling for a substantial hike to Rs 25,000, Rs 50,000, and Rs 75,000, respectively.

Despite multiple appeals, including a meeting with animal husbandry minister K Atchannaidu on February 6, students say they have received nothing but vague assurances.

Memories of a similar protest in 2022, which ended with unfulfilled promises, have only fuelled their determination. The protesting students were saying that they are not in a position to believe any oral assurance but decisive orders.

A team of university officials, including vice-chancellor Dr J V Ramana, attempted to persuade the students to call off their protest, but their efforts were met with firm resistance. With no formal response from the government, students have reached out to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and Minister N Lokesh, yet their pleas remain un-answered.

The students have even dismissed allegations that they were acting with some political mo-tives, saying that their fight is for their just demands in which there is no room for any politics. With the government showing no urgency, students have warned of an intensified protest if a formal order approving the stipend hike is not issued soon.