Haryana govt insists on bond for MBBS students, Opp Cong fumes

In a letter issued on September 8, the director general medical education and research asked the students admitted to MBBS course for 2020-21 and 2021-22 sessions to submit the bond amount or fee as per the policy. The letter states: “The policy dated 06-11-2020 should be widely publicised on the college website and the same should also be informed to MCC, DGHS/NMC for information of candidates seeking admission through 15% all-India quota. Accordingly, the information should be uploaded on the authorised portal on which the 15% all-India quota seats are sent to MCC, DGHC.”

As per the 2020 policy, the government says, a bond of Rs 10 lakh annually must be signed by students pursuing MBBS course in government medical colleges and this bond will be a prerequisite for getting a government job.

The Opposition has criticised the condition of bond saying that it would pose problems for the students coming from poor families.

Dr Ranbir Singh Dahiya, an academician and former professor of Rohtak-based Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), explained: “As per the policy, after completion of the MBBS course, the government will pay the entire loan of Rs 40 lakh, if the candidate concerned takes up the government job. But the issue is where are the government jobs for all candidates? The government is not giving guarantee of government jobs to all the pass-outs. If you are not able to give government jobs to all the students, then why has this condition been imposed on all MBBS students. This condition may be applicable to only those whom the government offers a job. If one is not taking up the job, then he may be asked to pay the fee of Rs 40 lakh. But if a student opts for the government job and the government is unable to offer the job, then why should the loan amount be paid by the candidate.”

On the question of depositing the bond amount of Rs 10 lakh, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier said that it has been included so that after pursuing MBBS, students can work in the state and provide their services to the people of the state. He had said that the bond condition was imposed to motivate the students to work in the state.

However, senior Congress leader and former Union minister Kumari Selja said: “The manner in which the bond condition had been imposed in MBBS admissions, it is a direct attack on the interests of students who have dreams to become doctors on sheer merit. It’s a tall order for any meritorious student coming from an ordinary and poor background to arrange for Rs 40 lakh (for four-year course).”

Kumari Selja said: “Only meritorious students apply for admission to government medical colleges. Most of them belong to very poor and ordinary families. They are unable to pay the expensive fee in private colleges and hence try to score higher rank for getting admission in government colleges. The BJP-JJP alliance government had given them the option of signing bonds or paying fee to prevent them from getting admission in government medical colleges. Those who will not pay the fee of Rs 40 lakh or sign a bond, will not get admission. It was clear from this step that the intention of the state government was to commercialise government medical college admissions.”

The former Union minister said: “The state government had made a provision that after completing MBBS, if a student does not take up government job for seven years, then Rs 40 lakh of his bond will be forfeited. Making such a rule was totally wrong. If the alliance government wanted every student doing MBBS to get a job in Haryana after becoming a doctor, then an agreement should be signed with them at the time of admission. They should be given an appointment letter for a government job as soon as they complete their studies.”

She demanded that the state government should cancel the policy.