Uttar Pradesh scraps fine for leaving medical education midway
However, the penalty debarring a candidate from taking admission in a medical education course the next year remains intact under the “seat-leaving bond”
Uttar Pradesh has abolished the fine imposed on students who leave their medical education course midway but the other part of penalty debarring such a candidate from taking admission in a medical education course the next year remains intact.
Any candidate leaving an undergraduate (MBBS/BDS) seat in a government medical college had to pay ₹1 lakh fine to a government college and the entire five-year fee in case the college was in the private sector, as per the provision under the “seat-leaving bond”.
A candidate had to pay ₹5 lakh for leaving a postgraduate medical seat in the government sector.
“Students who leave the MBBS course are themselves under too much pressure as they are leaving a bright career. They do it as a last option and have genuine reasons, including finance. In such a situation, the government thought it is not appropriate to take money from them as fine, hence the financial part of the penalty has been abolished. Uttar Pradesh is the second state after Madhya Pradesh to do so in the country,” said Kinjal Singh, director general medical education.
Kinjal Singh, who sent a proposal on the basis of discussions with the National Medical Commission, said, “The other part of the penalty remains the same where a candidate will be debarred from participating in NEET entrance and counselling in the next year, or the year after they leave a seat.”
“We are increasing MBBS seats and the number of the colleges in the state gradually. The focus remains to help more candidates become doctors. Hence, in the interest of students the decision has been taken to abolish the financial penalty mentioned in the seat leaving bond,” said Singh.
She said, “Though not many would leave MBBS or BDS...but the money is not important here. In such a case, we need to have sympathy with the candidate keeping in view the decision they take, putting an entire career at stake.”
Uttar Pradesh currently has 9278 MBBS and 2070 BDS seats in over 60 medical colleges. Over a dozen new medical colleges are expected to join counselling this year as inspections are being done, which will take the number of MBBS seats to over 10,000 at least.