Maharashtra: Medical PG aspirants face bond hurdle

MUMBAI: Over 5,000 MBBS doctors from the state who have not completed their one-year bond service, usually in rural areas, will face serious hurdles in obtaining a postgraduation seat in 2018-19.

Less than three months before the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-PG, the state's medical education department has issued a government resolution (GR) mandating MBBS graduates from public medical colleges to submit bond-free certificates in order to qualify for a PG seat.

The GR, issued on October 12, has shocked thousands of PG aspirants, who are questioning the decision being taken at the eleventh hour after most have spent months preparing for the entrance test. While MBBS students are expected to complete a one-year bond after their five-and-half-year course, the state allows them a window of six years to pursue higher education. Most avail of that extra time and only a handful proceed to do bond service immediately after MBBS.

Though the GR makes such MBBS graduates from public medical colleges ineligible even for the PG entrance exam, the state cannot control the eligibility criteria for the national-level exam. "The GR will have an impact on the counselling process for seat allotment which begins in March and is conducted by the state. Since the government also conducts admissions in private medical colleges, it is not clear if MBBS graduates from state-run colleges, without the bond-free certificates, will be eligible even for the private seats. These candidates can opt for the all-India quota seats," said an official.