Khattar, Vij not on the same page on MBBS bond policy
In 2020, the health minister had sought a rethink of the contentious bond policy for the medical students
CHANDIGARH: Haryana health minister Anil Vij had in 2020 sought a rethink of the contentious bond policy for the medical students questioning the feasibility of providing government employment to a large number of MBBS pass outs from government institutions. However, he was overruled by chief minister ML Khattar. The health minister on being asked on Thursday said he had made his point. The bond policy notified in November 2020 made it mandatory for the MBBS pass outs to serve the government for seven years, the stipulated service period now being brought down to five years. Medical students in Haryana are up in arms against the policy.
Health minister had raised feasibility issues The health minister in a 2020 note seeking reconsideration of the move to enforce compulsory government service for MBBS pass-outs had broadly raised two aspects pertaining to the feasibility of employing a large number of medical students and the complexities associated with the policy. “If we give employment to 1,400 students per year, then there will be 7,000 students after five years, and it would not be feasible to give employment to such a large number of students,’’ the health minister had written. The number of government medical colleges and seats in the last eight years have increased. As per the official data, the number of MBBS seats in government colleges are 1,735 at present which will further increase when every district gets a medical college.
Vij had written that the approved proposal is complicated to implement as it can affect the admissions of the candidates who may refrain from joining the medical colleges and seats can go vacant as this proposal can cause confusion among the entrants for taking admission to our institutions.
However, his plea for a rethink was turned down by the chief minister who reiterated his decision go ahead with the bond policy. The chief minister, as per official file noting, desired that the new policy be implemented from the academic session 2020. “He further notes that it is a new policy and depending upon the experience this year, it may be reviewed subsequently,’’ reads the noting by an official aide.
The number of government medical colleges and seats in the last eight years have increased. As per the official data, the number of MBBS seats in government colleges are 1,735 at present and will further increase when every district gets a medical college.
Measures to pacify students fail
Chief minister ML Khattar on November 30 tried to placate the protesting students by announcing modifications in the contentious policy, but to no avail. Khattar after holding a meeting with the student leaders announced that the mandatory period laid down for MBBS pass outs to serve the government will be reduced to five years and the bond amount will be decreased by about 30%. However, the modifications were rejected by the protesting medical students.
As per the modifications announced by the government on November 30, the period stipulated for MBBS pass outs from state-run medical institutions to serve the government has been brought down from seven to five years. Also, if an MBBS pass out opted for post graduate education, that period will be counted towards the government service.