Bond a must, court tells MBBS grads

MUMBAI: It will be mandatory for fresh MBBS graduates to execute an indemnity bond of Rs 5 lakh that they will serve in a public hospital for a year after graduation and give an undertaking that they will not leave India for five years on acquiring the degree.

The ruling was given by the Bombay high court on Tuesday, while hearing five petitions filed by about 150 medical students, most from the all-India quota.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice D G Karnik was hearing petitions filed by students who had taken admissions in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006.

The petitions were filed challenging an amendment by the state government in 2007, which wanted students to execute an additional bond of Rs 5 lakh as an undertaking that they will not leave India for five years after acquiring the degree in that quota.

The petitioner's lawyers, VM Thorat and Pooja Thorat, argued that students who secured admission in the all-India quota were not informed about signing the bond at the time of admission.

"At the time of admission in Delhi in the all-India quota, they had to sign a bond that they will pay Rs 1 lakh if they fail to serve in a public hospital for a year," Thorat said.

The government's pleader , Dhairyasheel Nalawade, argued that the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHCET ) broacher mentioned that bond. He told the court that the students were informed about the indemnity bond during counseling.