Besides a symbolic dharna, the students here also took out a rally around the college campus and wore black badges to mark their protest against the State government's ``uncaring attitude'' towards the 26-year-old government college.

Baroda Physiotherapy College Students' Association president Nitin Patel and students' representative Milan Nathani told Express Newsline that physiotherapy colleges all over the country gave more than Rs 2,000 as stipend to students and ran a bachelor's course for four-and-a-half years. In Gujarat, however, the duration was one year less, while the Vadodara college stipend was around Rs 1,300.

The students said that though the only other government college in the State -- at Ahmedabad -- had increased the stipend from the last batch, the Vadodara college was still paying the original amount. While the Ahmedabad college students were seeking a longer course and post-graduate courses, the Vadodara students are also demanding parity in stipends.

According to a college spokesman, the students' demands had been sent to the M S University authorities time and again. The varsity Vice-Chancellor and pro-VC were not available for comment; they were said to have gone to Gandhinagar for some work.

According to official information, this was the second such strike in the past three years in the Ahmedabad college and the first in Vadodara.

``On an average, we attend to 100 patients of arthritis and other bone-related ailments daily. That is why there was no strike in the past and why there was only a day's token strike this time. Since the patients had been informed about the strike, there were only about a dozen patients on Monday. They were looked after by the staff'', Patel said, adding that the students would continue their symbolic stir by wearing black badges.

Meanwhile, State Health Minister Ashok Bhatt told Express Newsline that though he was aware of the students' plight, he could not meet their demands instantly. ``Their demands are being considered by the education and finance departments,'' he said.

``I am interested in PG courses, provided we get the teachers. No one has applied for the posts despite repeated advertisements. That is why there is no PG course at the moment'', he said.