The MBBS students from the Kasturba Medical College (KMC), which is a constituent private medical college under Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Deemed University, have filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court against the state authorities for imposing a compulsory rural bond service on the students.
The students from the 2018 batch of MBBS at KMC Manipal highlighted that they were not informed about the bond at the time of admission to the MBBS course.
MBBS students in government medical colleges are made to undergo a compulsory one-year rural medical service, however, the same hasn't been applied to the students from private medical colleges and deemed universities yet, the students said.
“It makes sense for the government medical college students as their education is subsidised by the government to give back to society through their service. However, our education is self-financed and it is not justified to impose the same. Students in private medical colleges spend Rs 50 to 60 lakh, minimum, on their education,” a student from the 2018 batch at KMC Manipal informed EdexLive, on the condition of anonymity.
In 2015, the government of Karnataka had introduced a bill stating any doctor graduating from Karnataka must do one year of rural service, even private and deemed university students were included. However, this was revised, removing private and deemed universities from this arrangement.
Now, the students are being asked to sign an affidavit for undertaking compulsory rural service for one year, and to submit a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in order to obtain their permanent registration with the Karnataka Medical Council.
The affidavit mentions that the students have to serve in a government institute for one year and if they choose to discharge from their obligation of the compulsory rural service, they would have to pay a penalty of Rs 15 to Rs 30 lakh to the government.
These new changes are being implemented by the Karnataka Government under the draft Karnataka Compulsory Service by Candidates Completed Medical Courses (Counseling, Allotment and Certification) (Amendment) Rules, 2024.
However, the students say that since the draft rules are yet to be passed, the bond service is being implemented ‘illegally’ on the 2018 batch of students.
The students have now moved the Karnataka High Court challenging the state government’s amendment rules and a hearing date is yet to be assigned.
