Gujarat High Court stays earlier order quashing med bonds rule

Source: dnaindia.com

In a major victory for the state government, the division bench of Gujarat High Court on Wednesday put a stay on an earlier order by a single-judge bench in connection with the medical bonds that medical students in the state have to sign.

Earlier, the single-judge bench had quashed and set-aside a government resolution (GR) of June 28, 2013, that made it mandatory for post-graduate medical students studying in government-run medical colleges to furnish a bond of Rs 10 lakh as a guarantee to serve in rural areas for a period of three years after completion of their course.

The state had then moved the division bench against the order.

The bench admitted the appeal and also issued a notice to the students who had challenged the medical bond requirement rule of the state government.

Further hearing in the case will be held in October.

The state had passed a resolution in 2013 and 2014 making such bonds mandatory for students in lieu of three years of service in rural areas.

The state has been over the years, since the medical bonds were challenged, argued that the prevalence of bonds for medical students is there since 1972 and with the passage of time only the amount and tenure has been increased.

Earlier the state had argued before the single bench that the government is incurring huge expenditure on medical education while charging a nominal fee from students and there is an acute shortage of doctors in rural areas, which is required to be filled up.

It had also argued that the bond system is prevalent in other states as well and was implemented to improve the public healthcare system. It was also submitted that the condition of bond execution was removed for students from non-clinical branches in the absence of posts available for them in primary and community health centre.

The petitioners had at that time argued that the resolution was too harsh and without any rationale. They had also contended that it was discriminatory as it exempted PG students who had opted for non-clinical subjects and those selected under all India quota from executing the bonds.