Postgraduate doctors continue to leave residency programmes at some of India's prestigious medical institutions, with fresh RTI disclosures showing significant departures from AIIMS campuses and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) amid wider concerns over excessive duty hours, some ranging between 24 and 36 hours, workplace stress and inadequate support systems.
The latest figures were obtained through multiple RTI applications by members of the United Doctors Front (UDF). Consolidated data was first reported publicly on November 5, 2026, and covers institutions including nine AIIMS campuses and JPIMER in Puducherry.
At AIIMS Delhi, 34 junior residents left in 2025, compared to 60 in 2024. The institute recorded 267 new junior residents in 2025, down from 324 the previous year. Anaesthesiology saw seven departures, while six doctors left ophthalmology. Surgery and pathology recorded three exits each, Careers360 reported.
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JIPMER recorded 44 resignations across its January and July 2025 batches, compared to 60 in 2024, a fall of 27%. Despite the decline, departures were reported across specialities including anaesthesiology, emergency medicine, orthopaedics, pathology and surgery.
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Other institutions too reported multiple doctors leaving their programmes. AIIMS Kalyani recorded 15 departures in 2025, while AIIMS Raipur reported 19 from its 2025 batch and AIIMS Patna recorded 12. AIIMS Rishikesh said 30 students enrolled in postgraduate and super-speciality programmes left in 2025.
UDF chairperson Dr Lakshya Mittal linked the problem to complaints received from resident doctors about extended shifts, workplace harassment, unhealthy work environment and insufficient institutional support.
The organisation called for stricter enforcement of working-hour norms, independent grievance mechanisms and greater accountability within medical institutions. UDF has approached the Supreme Court through a public interest litigation over resident doctors' working conditions.
Nonetheless, the RTI responses do not establish that resignations were due to workload or harassment. The institutions provided data covering different batches and periods, making direct comparison difficult, while several did not maintain comprehensive records explaining why resident doctors had quit in the first place.
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The RTIs sought information on psychiatric counselling and workplace-related stress. AIIMS Delhi said it did not maintain counselling data for residents. AIIMS Rishikesh reported six postgraduate students receiving psychiatric counselling in 2026, but said it did not maintain consolidated information on work-related stress. AIIMS Raipur reported no resident doctors seeking such counselling in 2025 or 2026.
Moreover, concerns over resident welfare had surfaced through earlier RTI disclosures. In April 2026, data shared by activist J Swamidass in collaboration with UDF highlighted prolonged shifts at several institutions, including duties extending to 24 or 36 hours. A separate JIPMER RTI subsequently showed that 30 postgraduate medical students sought psychiatric consultation during 2025.
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