Police detained around 200 unemployed nursing officers on December 8, 2025, during a march from Dilaram Chowk to Uttarakhand CM’s residence in Dehradun, demanding year-wise recruitment and exam withdrawal amid scuffles and barricades.
Unemployed nursing officers, organised under Nursing Ekta Manch, were stopped and detained by police on December 8, 2025, while marching peacefully from Dilaram Chowk towards Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s residence in Dehradun.
The protesters, numbering about 200, demanded the withdrawal of a recent notification for 690 nursing posts via exam, insisting on year-wise recruitment based on seniority, age relaxations for overage candidates, priority for locals, and at least 2,500 new vacancies aligning with Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS).
They highlighted irregularities where juniors were hired without tests while they languished post-2021 promises. Police intervened at Salawala with barricades, citing public order, leading to scuffles; Superintendent-level officials transported detainees to Ekta Vihar dharna site.
Nursing Ekta Manch President Nawal Pundir accused suppression of voices, while Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal supporters joined earlier phases.
No direct government response emerged, but an ongoing indefinite dharna continues at Ekta Vihar, building on prior Parade Ground protests.
Protest Escalates Amid Unmet Demands
The march began amid chants of slogans and banners decrying the Medical Services Selection Board’s (MSSB) flawed process, with protesters alleging favouritism-juniors appointed sans exams while qualified seniors faced barriers after years of unemployment.
Nawal Pundir, addressing media before detention, emphasised, “Despite prolonged struggles, the government shows no positive intent; we seek recruitment by year of qualification, as practiced earlier, to honour our wait.” Many participants, trained during the pandemic yet jobless, shared personal plights: overage due to delays, families strained, and healthcare shortages worsening in remote Uttarakhand districts.
Police action unfolded swiftly-barricades at Salawala sparked pushing and shoving, with officers diverting the group to prevent traffic chaos near the CM house. Superintendent of Police (City) Rajiv Singh later justified, “Maintaining law and order is paramount; the unauthorised march risked disruption, similar to past incidents.”
Detainees were released at the designated protest site, Ekta Vihar, where the dharna persists, drawing solidarity from health workers and locals frustrated by staffing gaps in hospitals.
Background
This flare-up traces to a 134-day agitation in 2021, where nursing officers secured a government nod for 3,000 posts, only for bureaucratic delays to leave thousands in limbo-exams postponed, merit lists stalled, and fresh notifications igniting fresh fury.
By December 2025, the MSSB’s call for 690 posts via competitive exam was seen as a betrayal, ignoring seniority and age limits that now exclude many veterans. Earlier escalations included a planned indefinite dharna from December 5 at Parade Ground, thwarted by police on December 4-5; there, Harak Singh Rawat arrived in support and was arrested alongside protesters, amplifying political heat.
Extreme gestures marked the campaign: a blood-written letter to CM Dhami and Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, symbolising desperation amid Uttarakhand’s overburdened health sector, where nurse shortages plague districts like Uttarkashi.
Political undercurrents simmer-opposition voices like Rawat decry governance lapses, while the BJP government faces pressure to balance fiscal constraints with public health needs post-pandemic. These events underscore systemic inequities in state recruitment, vital for a hilly region reliant on robust medical staffing.
Broader Implications for Healthcare and Governance
Uttarakhand’s nursing crisis mirrors national challenges: IPHS norms mandate far more posts than allocated, leaving government hospitals understaffed and patients at risk, especially in rural outposts battered by monsoons and tourism influxes. Protesters argue year-wise hiring would rectify inversions-juniors leapfrogging seniors-ensuring fairness and experience retention.
Government silence persists, but preliminary talks hinted at post-detention, though scepticism runs high given history. The involvement of figures like Rawat politicises the issue, potentially stalling resolutions amid assembly session buzz. For nurses, many women supporting households, the impasse means dashed dreams and economic strain; one protester noted, “We served in COVID wards as volunteers-now we beg for jobs.”
This standoff tests Uttarakhand’s commitment to its health workforce, crucial for initiatives like Ayushman Bharat, and highlights tensions between protest rights and administrative control in a BJP-ruled state under CM Dhami’s second term.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Detaining dedicated nursing officers mid-peaceful march, amid a genuine healthcare staffing emergency, erodes trust and stifles the empathy needed for harmonious resolutions.
These workers, who frontlineed pandemics without reward, deserve dialogue over detentions-transparent, seniority-respecting recruitment policies that foster coexistence between government and citizens.
The Logical Indian urges all stakeholders to embrace kindness through mediated talks, prioritising public health over politics for positive change.
