The Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association (TJUDA) has urged immediate intervention from the State government and the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), citing systemic problems that affect female post-graduate doctors and newly qualified graduates across Telangana.
Telangana junior doctors maternity leave
The association says there are no clear, uniformly implemented university rules governing maternity leave, extensions or the process for rejoining training. As a result, women doctors at different medical colleges face varied practices that can cause financial strain and interrupt training.
TJUDA’s representation points to a rejoining fee of ₹15,000 reportedly being levied on female post-graduates after the mandatory three-month maternity leave. After paying this amount, doctors are said to wait 15 to 20 days or longer for university approval. During this period they are often denied access to academic, clinical and departmental facilities, the representation adds.
The association also flagged the absence of stipends during extension periods following maternity leave. Even when extensions are completed, stipends are reportedly delayed by four to five months. TJUDA said female post-graduates are not permitted to take casual leave during the extension period, even in medical emergencies or for child-related health needs, despite having available leave balances.
These administrative hurdles, the association warned, are causing financial and health-related hardship. Junior doctors say the combination of lost income, restricted access to training and postponed stipends can undermine both patient care and career progression.
Delays in academic certificates hamper careers
Separately, TJUDA raised concern over prolonged delays in the issuance of academic documents, including original degree certificates, migration certificates, transfer certificates and marks memos. The association said students completing courses such as MBBS, MD, MS, BDS and allied health programmes often wait six months or longer after result declarations to receive their documents, whereas these should ideally be issued within a month.
Graduates who lack timely certificates miss windows for higher education, fellowships, employment, medical council registration and overseas opportunities. The association linked these setbacks to administrative inefficiencies at college and university level, and called for streamlined processes to prevent graduates from losing time-sensitive opportunities.
What TJUDA seeks and what comes next
In its representations to the State government and KNRUHS, TJUDA has asked for clear, uniform university norms on maternity leave, rejoining procedures and stipend payments. It also asked for a deadline-driven system for issuing all academic documents so graduates can pursue further study and professional registration without avoidable delay.
Officials at KNRUHS and the Telangana health department have not publicly responded to the association’s letter. If the authorities move to adopt standardised rules, medical colleges will need to align local practices with any new university directives and ensure prompt implementation.
For now, junior doctors continue to press for remedies that would protect the income, training access and career progression of female post-graduates, while ensuring timely issuance of certificates for all recent graduates.
Key Takeaways:
- Telangana junior doctors raise concerns about maternity leave, rejoining fees and stipend delays affecting female post-graduates.
- Association says lack of uniform KNRUHS norms forces inconsistent college practices and extra costs, including a ₹15,000 rejoining fee.
- Prolonged delays in issuing academic certificates are blocking further study, professional registration and overseas opportunities.
