The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday made 10 years of medical service mandatory for post-graduation medical students in the state health department. Anyone failing to complete the mandatory service period and leaving the service would be fined Rs 1 crore.

The announcement was made by Principal Secretary (Health), UP, Amit Mohan Prasad on Saturday. Declaring that if PG medical students in the state drop out of the government job before completing 10 years, they will be fined Rs 1 crore, Amit Mohan Prasad also said that such students will be debarred from the course for the next three years.

UP Government mandates 10 years of service in the department for medical students undergoing Post graduation course in the state. Anyone failing to do so has to pay a fine amount of Rs 1 crore: Amit Mohan Prasad, Principal Health Secretary

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 12, 2020

According to reports, this decision by the Uttar Pradesh government was taken to deal with the shortage of specialist doctors in state-run hospitals and medical establishments.

Moreover, with the present order, those MBBS doctors who have been serving in rural areas for a year would be given a weightage of 10 marks in NEET for PG courses. Similarly, those who are serving for two years in rural areas would get a weightage of 20 marks and those who have completed three years of service in rural areas would get a benefit of 30 marks. These doctors would also be allowed to take admission in any diploma along with a PG course.

In 2018, the Uttar Pradesh government had introduced two years Compulsory Rural Service Bond also in medical courses.

As per the guidelines, MBBS/BDS students must fill a designated bond of Rs 10 lakh, MD/MS students Rs 40 lakh, PG Diploma/MDS students Rs 20 Lakh, and DM/MCh students Rs 1 crore, in case any medical student acts contrary to the bond.

This rule was passed in compliance with the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill which was passed to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a new body.