The Maharashtra government has temporarily suspended the mandatory MBBS bond-service requirement for postgraduate (PG) medical admissions, offering relief to aspiring candidates. The directive will remain on hold until further notice, as per an official notification.
Under current provisions, MBBS graduates can now enroll in MD, MS, or PG diploma courses without completing their bond-service obligations. Previously, only those appearing for the NEET PG exam for the third time were required to have completed their government-mandated internship.
“The 2017 Maharashtra Government Resolution requiring MBBS graduates to complete their bond service before joining PG courses has been put on hold till further orders,” the latest circular stated.
According to the original rule, candidates were barred from PG admissions unless they had completed the specified tenure of government service during their MBBS training. The current notification, however, suspends that requirement for the time being.
This development comes after the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) Maharashtra — representing 2019 batch students who recently completed their internships — approached the state medical education department, seeking clarity on the implementation of the rule.
The delay in enforcing the bond-service policy has long been a point of contention among medical graduates due to the shortage of placements at Rural Health Centres (RHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs). Many students across India have faced prolonged waiting periods due to backlog in postings.
The bond-service mandate was originally introduced in 2017, aimed at making rural service compulsory for those seeking admission to PG and super-specialty medical courses. Although the state had planned to begin strict implementation from the academic year 2019-20, it has remained largely unexecuted.
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