Karnataka: Only MBBS students under govt quota may have to do compulsory rural service

BENGALURU, May 1,2017 (TNN): From this academic year, only those medical graduates, who have availed seats under the government quota, may have to do one-year mandatory rural service in the state. Previously, this service rule applied to all quotas of medical seats, including NRI and management quotas in medical colleges, forcing students to approach the court and getting a stay. "Fearing the verdict may go against it, the government recently filed an affidavit in the high court stating that it would make changes to the rule, restricting it only to those students who pass out on government quota,'' sources said. Karnataka government spends about Rs 6 lakh on every medical student under the government quota by providing basic facilities free of cost and charging minimum fees. Despite this, many medical students refuse to serve in rural Karnataka. To ensure they fall in line, health and family welfare minister K R Ramesh Kumar said, the government will soon amend the Karnataka Compulsory Service Training by Candidates Completed Medical Course Act, 2012 to make it mandatory for under and post-graduate students, who have availed seats under the government quota to serve in the rural area for a minimum of one year. "We have filed an affidavit to the high court, while seeking to vacate an interim stay, to ensure junior doctors are made available from this academic year itself,'' he added. Of the around 4,000 candidates who received their MBBS and MD degrees and diplomas in 2017, only 18 candidates opted for rural service, according to information provided by the department of health and family welfare. In 2015, the state government issued an order mandating one-year rural service for all students who receive their medical degrees from colleges in Karnataka. But this order was challenged in the high court which has ordered a stay. However, the state government filed a petition in the court seeking permission to announce voluntary rural service. "The court accepted our petition and allowed us to go ahead, but only 18 out of 4,000 candidates have opted to join rural service," said a senior official. Under the proposed amendment, officials said all students while taking admission under the government quota need to sign a bond that after completion of studies, they will serve for one year in rural hospitals to qualify for MBBS certificates. "If anybody violates this provision, not only would they become ineligible to get their certificates, but would also have to pay a fine of Rs 10 lakh to the government as per the provisions of the new Act, " they added. Kumar said they are hoping the high court would allow this provision considering that the students avail all the benefits of the government and they are duty-bound to return the favour in form of one-year rural service.