Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) house surgeons and post-graduate doctors across Telangana have launched an indefinite strike demanding a revision of their stipends, alleging that the amount paid to them has remained largely unchanged for more than a decade and is lower than that received by their allopathic counterparts.The indefinite strike began on Tuesday after a 15-day strike notice issued by the Telangana AYUSH House Surgeons and Post Graduates Joint Action Committee failed to elicit a response from the authorities, according to B. Rajesh Kalyan, president of the JAC. Around 2,500 AYUSH doctors across five government colleges in Telangana are participating in the agitation, he said. At the centre of the protest is the demand that stipends paid to AYUSH house surgeons and postgraduate students be brought on a par with those paid to their counterparts in allopathic medicine. According to Mr. Kalyan, AYUSH house surgeons in Telangana currently receive a monthly stipend of around ₹13,000, while postgraduate students receive around ₹30,000. An allopathic house surgeon is paid around ₹28,000 and postgraduates get around ₹70,000.He said the disparity becomes more apparent when Telangana is compared with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, where AYUSH doctors are paid stipends broadly on a par with allopathic doctors. AYUSH house surgeons there receive around ₹26,000 a month, while postgraduate students receive around ₹65,000, he claimed.The JAC claimed that representations seeking a stipend revision have been submitted to the authorities repeatedly over the years, but the issue has remained unresolved. “The strike would continue until the government addresses the stipend disparity and brings the remuneration of AYUSH house surgeons and postgraduate doctors on a par with their allopathic counterparts,” he added. Published - August 05, 2026 08:07 pm IST