5 years Service, Rs 59 Lakh Penalty- AFMS Bond Policy for NEET PG admissions
Service Bond
New Delhi: Releasing the Information Bulletin and Counselling Scheme for NEET PG and NEET MDS 2025, the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) has informed that the civilian candidates getting admitted to postgraduate medical and dental courses at AFMS institutes will have to serve as AFMS as Medical Officers for five years after completing the course.
However, if the PG and MDS graduates fail to fulfill the service liability, they will have to pay a bond penalty of Rs 59 lakh and Rs 54 lakh, respectively. Last year, the amount of bond penalty was Rs 57.7 lakh for PG medical courses.
According to the AFMS Information Bulletin, after clearing the NEET PG 2025 and NEET MDS 2025 Exams, candidates interested in pursuing their PG medical and dental courses at the AFMS institutes will have to execute a bond agreement in this regard.
In the bond agreement, the candidates will have to specify their liability to serve AFMS for 5 years on successful completion of MD/MS/DNB/MDS courses, subject to fulfilling the eligibility criteria.
"For admission into PG (MD/MS/DNB) courses, the candidate will have to execute a bond agreement as per Appx ‘A’ at the time of admission, to pay a sum of Rs. 59,00,000/- (Rupees Fifty Nine Lakhs only) for the session 2025-28, to Govt of India, in case unwilling to join AFMS when offered commission on completion of the course," mentioned the Information Bulletin.
"For admission into MDS courses, the candidate will have to execute a bond agreement as per Appx ‘B’ at the time of admission, to pay a sum of Rs. 54,00,000/- (Rupees Fifty Four Lakhs only) for the session 2025-28, to Govt of India, in case unwilling to join AFMS when offered commission on completion of the course," it further added.
However, AFMS has clarified that a candidate who fails to complete the course successfully before crossing 35 years of age, due to any circumstances, will not be eligible for commission in the Armed Forces and will be rendered Non-Service Liability (NSL). "Such candidates will be liable to pay the bond money to the Govt of India as applicable," AFMS mentioned in the bulletin.
Priority-V Candidates:
These bond service terms are applicable for Priority-V, i.e., civilian candidates only. Priority-V students are civilian candidates who are willing to serve in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) subject to their fulfilling the eligibility criteria mentioned in the Information Bulletin.
"It may be noted that offering of PG (MD/MS/DNB/MDS) seats to civilian candidates as Priority - V is with the sole objective to meet the specialist requirement of the AFMS. Civilian candidates at the time of admission will have to submit a bond agreement to pay an amount as sanctioned by the Govt. of India in case they are unwilling to join AFMS when offered commission. They also have to be medically fit as per the standards required for commission in the AFMS at the time of admission. Officers of the AFMS who have resigned their commission/ dismissed/ removed from service/ not completed their initial contractual service as SSC officers are not eligible to be considered even as Priority-V candidates, though they may fulfill the age criteria," mentioned the Bulletin.
Maximum permissible age for Priority-V candidates is less than 30 years as on 31 Dec 2025 (i.e., date of birth being on or after 01 Jan 1996) in order to fulfill the service liability.
AFMS further mentioned that the Priority-V candidates will have to submit a bond agreement at the time of admission to pay an amount as sanctioned by the Govt. of India.
"Candidature of any candidate found to be giving wrong information will be liable for summary rejection at any stage of the admission process by the Commandant of the institution where a seat has been provisionally allotted during online counselling by the MCC. The decision of the Commandant of the institution will be final," it mentioned.
"It is recommended that, candidates prior to participating in the counselling as a Priority-V candidate should ascertain their medical fitness as per the stipulated guidelines mentioned above. AFMS and MCC will not be responsible for any loss suffered by the candidate as a consequence of denial of admission in AFMS PG Teaching Institutes due to the candidate being declared medically unfit," it further added.
Bond Agreement for Civilian Candidates under Priority-V Category:
As per the Bulletin, all Priority-V candidates, if selected, are required to execute a bond agreement to serve as Short Service Commissioned (SSC) Officers for 5 years with the AFMS or pay an amount as sanctioned by the Govt. of India at the time of admission in case they are unwilling to join AFMS when offered commission.
For the academic session 2025-28, the bond amount is Rs. 59 Lakhs (Rupees Fifty Nine Lakhs only) for MD/MS/DNB courses and Rs. 54 Lakhs (Rupees Fifty Four Lakhs only) for MDS courses.
"The bond is to be executed on a Rs. 500/- non judicial stamp paper and registered/ notarized with office of sub-registrar and submitted on the day of admission. Expenses in connection with registration of Bond Agreement are to be borne by the respective candidate. The conditions in which the civilian candidates are not eligible to join the AFMS as SSC Officers are laid down in the Surety Bond which will be executed at the time of admission," stated the Information Bulletin.
Bond Conditions:
(a) That in the event the PG student either attains the age of 35 years as on 31 December of the year of successful completion of his/her PG course or refuses to accept commission in the Armed Forces Medical Services on successful completion of his/her PG course the PG student and the Surety shall jointly be liable to pay and refund forthwith to the Government of India on demand and without demur an amount of Rs 59 Lakhs (Rupees Fifty Nine Lakhs) as per Govt of India letter No 17436/DGAFMS/DG-1D dated 15 Mar 2021 and No. 3569/DGAFMS/DG-1B(i)/389/21/D (Med) dt 19 Apr 2021 together with interest on the said money, calculated at the rates in force then. The interest will be calculated after 30 days from date of successful completion of PG course or from the designated date of joining the Armed Forces unit as per the posting order issued whichever is later.
(b) That the PG student shall on successful completion of his/her PG degree course will report within such period, as may be allowed by the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services as joining time to the unit or station as specified in this behalf by the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services for grant of Short Service Commission on terms and conditions set out in Army Instruction 75/78 and as amended from time-to-time.
(c) That the PG student after grant of short service commission, if applies for release from service within Five years of grant said commission for any reason whatsoever and provided his/ her release is sanctioned by the Govt of India, as per rules in force, he/ she shall be relieved only after he/ she has refunded Bond money at the rate of Rs. 11.8 Lakhs (Rupees Eleven Lakhs and Eighty Thousand only) per completed year or part thereof of unfulfilled liability limited to the Bond money as contained in the Bond agreement executed at the time of admission.
(d) That if the PG student leaves the institution without completing the course due to any reason after the last date of admission to the PG course as specified by NMC/affiliated University, he/ she will be required to pay a sum of Rs. 19,66,667/- (Rupees Nineteen Lakhs Sixty-Six Thousand Six Hundred and Sixty Seven only) per year or part thereof of the education at the institution based on extant rules subject to the conditions laid down in the subsequent paras.
(e) That the PG student made Non service Liability (NSL) on medical grounds will be required to pay Bond money at 50% of amount laid down, for further period of study from the date declared NSL, before he/ she is allowed to continue his/her studies. He/ She will be liable to pay the remaining 50% of the Bond money on completion of the course. However, in case of student becoming medically unfit for commission due to any disease or disability contracted in the circumstances over which he/ she has no control (on which the decision of the DGAFMS shall be final) and for which he/ she has not refused treatment, he/ she will not be required to pay any Bond money but will have to pay the cost of training as applicable for further period of study from the date declared NSL.
(f) That if the PG (MD/MS/DNB) student leaves the training institute voluntarily without completing the course due to any reason (other than medical grounds) after the permissible withdrawal period as governed by the prospectus, if any, will be liable to pay the amount of the Bond Money at a rate proportionate to the amount of time they have trained in the institute, limited to the total Bond money as contained in the Bond executed at the time of admission.
(g) That if the PG (MD/MS/DNB) student rendered as Non Service Liability (NSL) due to reasons other than medical grounds (viz. indiscipline, failure to adhere to the stipulated code of conduct, violation of medical ethics etc.) will be removed from the College Rolls and will be liable to pay the Bond Money as applicable to student and will not be allowed to continue further studies.
(h) That if the PG (MD/MS/DNB) student found to be medically unfit in the precommission medical exam due to pregnancy, will be reviewed by a medical board within six months of delivery and if found fit, will be offered SSC. The candidate will report to her parent teaching institution for such medical examination within six months of delivery. If the candidate fails to report to her parent teaching institution for the medical examination within the stipulated time or fails to join on being declared fit and offered SSC, she will be liable to pay the full Bond Money. If after review, she is found medically unfit for commission, she will be treated as NSL case and would be liable to pay Bond Money as contained in the Bond executed at the time of admission.
(i) That if the PG (MD/MS/DNB) Student who on completion of the course wants to be released from service liability before completion of the Liability period, provided the same is accepted by the Government, will be liable to pay the amount of the Bond Money at a rate proportionate to each complete year or part thereof of unfulfilled liability, limited to the total Bond Money as contained in the Bond or the total amount as contained in the undertaking executed at the time of admission.
(j) That if the PG (MD/MS/DNB) student leaves the institution and refuses to fulfill any of the Bond conditions, his/her original documents will not be handed over until he/she pays the surety Bond money as applicable and any other dues decided by the Commandant of the AFMS PG (MD/MS/DNB) institution.
"The Terms and conditions mentioned in the agreement may get revised/amended as per the directions of Govt of India as far as related to payment of Bond money in default of honoring this agreement. The SURETY will be liable to agree to the same. In case of dispute, the decision of Govt of India will be final and binding on the Sureties or either," the information bulletin further mentioned.
"In the event of non compliance of the aforesaid clauses or failure on the part of Sureties to comply with the Bond, the sum due hereunder will be liable to be recovered as an arrear of Land Revenue," it added.
To view the Information Bulletin, click on the link below:
https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/afms-information-bulletin-288766.pdf
