MUMBAI, Sept. 28 -- Over one thousand junior resident doctors in their third year across Maharashtra's government and semi-government medical colleges are staring at a financial and accommodation crisis after delays in their final postgraduate examinations left them without pay. The doctors, from the 2022 batch, are employed on 36-month contracts beginning from the date of admission. During this period, they are paid stipends while preparing for their final examinations, which typically fall within the three-year window. But this year, the exam schedule has been pushed to between late November and the first week of January-well beyond the end of most contracts, which lapse by September or October. As a result, over 1,000 junior residents will be left without stipends for at least three months-October, November, and December-at a critical time when many are also preparing for their exams. "We have approached MUHS on this subject, however, since they are the body that conducts examinations and DMER is the governing body for payments, we have approached them as well. Most of the students are under mental distress owing to the severity of the financial crisis. Many of them have loans to pay, and without a stipend, their livelihood is at stake," said Dr Swapnil Kendre, general secretary of the Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD). Two weeks ago, a MARD delegation met Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) vice-chancellor Dr Madhuri Kanitkar. Acting on their representation, MUHS on September 12 wrote to Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) director Dr Ajay Chandanwale, seeking urgent intervention. The letter, signed by MUHS controller of examinations Dr Sandeep Kadu, noted that admissions for the 2022-23 postgraduate batch were spread between October 2022 and January 2023 due to reservation-related litigation, postponement of NEET-PG, and internship backlogs. This meant that some students' 36-month academic period ends only in January 2026. To maintain uniformity, the university scheduled examinations for all students between November and December 2025. "Some students of the academic year were admitted in October 2022 and their academic period will be ending in October 2025, before the written examination. Accordingly, it is a humble request to provide stipend to those students till the end of the examination," the MUHS letter stated. The exam calendar was further disrupted this year after the general elections delayed the summer session by three months, creating a cascading effect that pushed the winter exams into 2025. Resident doctors say the three-month stipend gap is pushing them into financial and mental distress. Many are now worried about basic living expenses, especially those posted in cities like Mumbai where costs are significantly higher. "For three months, we will neither get a stipend nor be able to join any post. We will have to pay for accommodation as well. The new batch of NEET-PG students will be arriving soon, and there will be a crunch in accommodation as we have not yet been relieved. We are distressed mentally due to this as to how we will survive without pay for three months," said a doctor from a government college. Doctors pointed out that DMER had previously extended stipends during the Covid-19 pandemic when exams were postponed by six months. However, this time no such relief has yet been offered. "Unless MUHS resets the academic calendar, this problem will continue. Every three-month delay pushes the next batch into the same mess," a senior resident said. Acknowledging the situation, a senior DMER official said, "We have received the letter from MUHS. We will review this and send a proposal to the government for the same."...