Amid protests, Haryana notifies 5-year bond policy for MBBS students

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, December 21

In a revision of its 2020 policy on admission of MBBS students to govt/govt-aided medical colleges, Haryana today notified the ‘Service Incentive Bond’ of five years.

The bond amount has been reduced to Rs 25.77 lakh for male and Rs 23.19 lakh for female candidates with a 10 per cent discount in government medical colleges. In Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha (Hisar), which is the lone government-aided medical college, it will be Rs 21.90 lakh for males and Rs 19.71 lakh for females.

Medicos burn CM’s effigy, write to Prez in blood

• Karnal: On Day 51, MBBS students of Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College protested in front of the Mini Secretariat against the bond policy of the state government and took out a protest march in the city on Wednesday
• They wrote a letter in blood to the President of India, requesting the withdrawal of the bond policy in the state. They conducted a “post-mortem examination” of the effigy of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and later burnt that. They also threatened to move to Delhi in protest against the bond policy, if it was not withdrawn. TNS

Rate of interest linked to repo rate

• The rate of interest for the bond amount loan will be linked with repo-linked lending rate which may vary from time to time
• If the private salary of a candidate is less than 1.5 times the initial salary of a government medical officer, the state government will pay the instalment proportional to the government medical officer’s salary while the rest will be paid by the candidate concerned
• Those earning more than 1.5 times the initial salary of a government medical officer will have to make the entire payment on their own

Earlier, the bond amount was Rs 36.41 lakh in government medical colleges and Rs 32.80 lakh in MAMC, Agroha, while the duration was seven years. The policy has been revised after a series of protests by MBBS students.

The new bond policy will be applicable from 2020-21 onwards, while for MAMC, Agroha, it will come into effect from 2022-23.

The bond will be in the shape of a collateral-free education loan. On completion of MBBS, the candidates will either have to give consent for government service or opt to pay the bond amount in lumpsum or in monthly instalments. The government will repay the loan in lieu of the service rendered by the candidate in public hospitals. The bond will be signed between the candidate, bank, and the government through the medical institution.

The total duration of the bond shall be five years starting from the completion of the MBBS course. One-year moratorium period has been provided while a candidate is not required to re-pay any amount during the period of study, including postgraduation (PG) course. The PG duration will be deducted from the mandatory period of five years required under the ‘Service Incentive Bond’.

The new policy says that the state government “shall offer a contractual service” in the government sector within one year of the completion of the MBBS course. Both in case of permanent or contractual service, the state government will pay the bond amount.

In case a candidate obtains employment with the Centre, state government, armed forces or the judicial services, even then Haryana will repay the loan. The policy adds that in case a candidate doesn’t get a regular or contractual job with the government even after one year, the Haryana Government will make “the loan repayment qua such candidates”.

In the case of a private job where one is earning less than the initial salary of government medical officers, Haryana will pay the entire amount. A candidate is at liberty to leave the government service at any time before the bond expires subject to payment of the remaining loan amount. The 2020 policy didn’t make it mandatory for Haryana to provide employment to MBBS graduates.

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