No MBBS student in Maharashtra now can skip rural service to be rendered by them after completion of graduation. Earlier there was a provision by which student could pay Rs 10 lakh fine against not rendering service in rural area. Now, MBBS students will have to go to rural areas and provide healthcare without any excuse.

The Medical Education Department (DMER) of Maharashtra Government made one year bond compulsory to the students in all Government Medical Colleges, colleges run by Municipal Corporations. It has also made it mandatory to the students of private unaided and Government-aided medical colleges who avail the benefits of various scholarship schemes. This will be applicable from the academic year 2022-23. The students after completing MBBS have to render their services in rural areas as a Government assignment. Around 500 such MBBS doctors graduating from private medical colleges across Maharashtra availing of scholarships and freeships will be included.

Barring few, not many students spend time for rendering service in rural areas. Earlier it was mandatory. Later on, considering mass skipping of the internship by students, Government introduced a rule. As per the rule, if a student failed to do the internship, he or she was supposed to pay the fine. When Government found students were not paying fine too, it modified the rule according to which, the students could extend the internship to Post Graduate and later to super speciality course. The fine kept increasing as per the level of degree. All these rules, their modifications did not yield expected results. Students neither completed the internship nor they paid the fine. As per the record mere 20-30% students paid the fine.

Considering all these aspects, finally Government has decided to make the rural service compulsory and removed the provision of paying fine. Till this year the bond was not mandatory for a single student from private unaided or Government- aided medical colleges availing benefits of scholarship. The demand was being made from all quarters that the students of private medical colleges should not be exempted.

In 2018, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) had brought a circular according to which it did not allow students to appear in the Common Entrance Test for the admission to Post Graduate medical education if they fail to do the rural service. The circular had exempted the students of private medical colleges. The decision of DMER was opposed from all quarters.