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Rural stint mandatory for 500 of Maharashtra’s private medical grads with scholarships
The Maharashtra government has, for the first time, brought private medical colleges — both government-aided and unaided — under the ambit of bond service
From the next academic year, around 500 MBBS doctors graduating from private medical colleges across Maharashtra and availing of scholarships and freeships, will be required to serve in rural healthcare facilities for a year with their peers from government-run institutes.
Facing a shortage of doctors at rural, remote and tribal areas, the state has, for the first time, brought private medical colleges — both government-aided and unaided — under the ambit of bond service, which was till now limited to students in government-run colleges. The graduates who fail to comply will be required to return the scholarship amount received from the state with interest and pay other penalties levied on bond evaders. Students who choose to pay their entire fees, even if they are eligible for a scholarship, will continue to be exempt from bind service .
On Friday, the state issued a government resolution to announce this decision. “The scholarships and freeships awarded to students in degree medical course are paid for by the people of the state. To have some returns and to ensure sufficient health care facilities in rural, remote and tribal areas, the state had been considering a proposal to make the bond service mandatory for students availing freeships in government-aided and private unaided colleges,” it read.
HT had reported that the state Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) had sent a proposal to the government to extend the bond service to the beneficiaries of educational aid.
While the education is subsidised in government-run colleges, students — even those attending private colleges — belonging to various socially and economically weaker sections get scholarships under various schemes of the state government. The entire fees of students belonging to scheduled caste (SC), scheduled tribes (ST), vimukta jati (VJ), nomadic tribe (NT) and special backward category (SBC) are refunded. Similarly, half the fees for students belonging to other backward categories (OBCs) and economically backward category (EBC) - families with annual income less than Rs 6 lakh - are waived off.
Every year, around 7,000 students graduate from medical colleges in Maharashtra. These include 1,700 graduates from private institutes of which an estimated 500 students avail scholarships and freeships. The state’s decision won’t be applicable for post-graduation medical students, as no scholarship is awarded to them.
While the experts welcomed the decision, they expressed some reservations. “The bond shouldn’t be mandated on the pretext of getting a return on scholarships. The government policy cannot be a trade-off. The government shouldn’t segregate students in an already divided society,” said Priyadarshi Telang, convenor, Dalit Adivasi Adhikar Andolan, a Pune-based non-governmental organisation.
He said the government should make the rural stint mandatory even for those who don’t receive any direct educational aid. “These students also benefit from the state in the form of cheaper land and equipment for colleges. It feels that the socially and economically backward students are being punished for availing scholarships,” he said.
Muzaffar Khan, a Thane-based medical education counsellor, said some students from weaker sections are likely to pay their entire fees to evade the bond and to save a year.
“There are not enough positions available in rural health care facilities to accommodate all the graduates. Besides, the government takes some time for appointments,” he said.
