Maharashtra Govt Suspends Compulsory MBBS Bond-Service Rule for PG Admissions

The Maharashtra government has suspended the enforcement of the mandatory MBBS bond-service requirement for postgraduate (PG) medical admissions until further orders. This decision allows MBBS graduates in the state to pursue PG courses without completing the previously mandated government bond service.

According to an official notification, the state has put on hold the 2017 government resolution that required MBBS graduates to complete their bond service before enrolling in MD, MS, or postgraduate diploma programs. “The government has suspended the said order until further notice,” the notification stated.

Under the original rule, candidates were deemed ineligible for PG admissions if they failed to complete the prescribed duration of rural bond service during their MBBS course. However, the current policy enables students to register for PG programs without fulfilling this criterion. Previously, only students attempting the NEET PG entrance exam for the third time were required to complete the internship beforehand.

The state issued this clarification in response to a letter submitted by the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI), Maharashtra. ASMI, which represents the 2019 MBBS batch who completed their internships, had recently approached the state medical education department seeking clarity on the implementation of the bond-service rule.

Medical students across India have raised concerns over the compulsory bond-service policy, citing limited monthly vacancies at rural healthcare centres (RHCs) and primary healthcare centres (PHCs), which have led to significant backlogs.

Maharashtra introduced the rural bond-service requirement in 2017 for PG medical courses, including super-speciality programs. Although the state government announced its implementation starting from the 2019–20 academic year, it has not enforced the policy to date.