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Now, Punjab increases bond period & amount for PG medical courses
The Punjab government has increased the bond period for students seeking admission to government colleges for PG medical courses from two to three years under state quota and hiked the bond amount to ₹30 lakh; doctors’ body contest move
After introducing a bond policy for MBBS students in June this year, the Punjab government has now revised it for postgraduate (PG) medical students in the state, raising their mandatory service period after completion of their programme to three years under the state quota and two years under the all-India quota. Earlier, the bond period for state-quota students was two years while that under the all-India quota was one year.
The state government has also increased the bond amount from ₹20 lakh to ₹30 lakh for students under the state quota, and ₹15 lakh to ₹20 lakh under the all-India quota.
Punjab medical education department officials claimed that the step is expected to boost the department’s capacity to monitor and upgrade healthcare services across the state. “The policy is aimed at addressing the acute shortage of doctors in the state,” said a senior official of the medical education department, pleading anonymity.
Currently, only 1,108 posts of medical specialists— out of the 2,098 sanctioned posts for general medical officers—are filled, leaving 1,962 (47%) posts vacant.
Policy introduced for MBBS, BDS students in June
The Punjab government, in June, this year, had introduced a bond policy for MBBS and BDS students, seeking admission to government medical and dental colleges in the state.
As per the policy, MBBS students admitted from the academic session 2025-26 will have to either serve in government health institutions for two years after completing their course or pay a bond amount of ₹20 lakh.
As for the students taking admission under the All-India Quota, the period has been reduced to one-year of government service.
Slamming the government’s decision to increase the bond period, resident doctors association said the move will only turn doctors into bonded labour.
RDA member Dr Mehtab Bal said, “This is a stop-gap arrangement by the government to address the shortage of doctors as they don’t want to hire new medical specialists.”
Punjab civil medical services (PCMS) association state president Dr Akhil Sarin said, “Although this move seems to be aimed at providing specialist services to the underserved, and minimise the out-of-pocket expenditure of the patients, it should be effectively coupled with regular walk-in interviews for specialist doctors. As far as hiking the bond money is concerned, the government should certainly reconsider its decision and adopt a considerate view on this issue.”
