Compulsory service of 5 years, Rs 3.6 crore penalty: No Takers for Free MBBS Seats at Sri Madhusudhan Sai Institute

Bengaluru: Despite having the opportunity to pursue MBBS course for free at Sri Madhusudhan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR), students seem to be not interested in these seats.As per the conditions implemented by the institute, all the students taking admission to SMSIMSR will have to execute an undertaking stating that they will compulsorily serve in any of the free hospitals set up by or registered with the University for such period "equal to such number of years the course the student has studied in the University".Therefore, the MBBS students will have to mandatorily serve at the institute for altogether 5 years and if they fail to comply with the terms, they will have to pay a huge penalty of Rs 3.6 crore plus hostel fees. Even though the students will not have to pay any fees for pursuing the MBBS course at the institute, among the 50 medical seats that were sanctioned this year, only 5% (i.e. 3 seats) management quota seats have been filled, adds The Hindu.The daily further adds that altogether seven students chose the seats in the first round of NEET counselling conducted by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) recently. However, the students are not displaying any interest to get admitted in the college and they have put it as choice-3 and have opted for second round of counselling.Also Read: Free MBBS education: SMSIMSR submits proposal to Govt for Special free of cost admission reservation policyMedical Dialogues had earlier reported that the management of SMSIMSR decided offering free medical education in the 40% government quota seats. Previously, clarifying the seat sharing arrangements, SMSIMSR informed that 40% of the 50 seats i.e. 20 seats shall be Government quota seats as free seats i.e., Zero fees for both college Admission and Hostel.Further Forty percent (40%) of the 50 seats i.e., twenty seats (20) shall be the private (payment) seats being allotted as per the Karnataka Professional Education Act by KEA with Zero fee. For remaining fifteen percent (15%) of the 50 seats i.e., seven seats (7) as NRI seats shall be filled by KEA for the fee notified by the university. Further five percent (5%) of 50 seats i.e., three seats (3) being the management seats shall be filled by KEA for the fees notified by university.Compulsory Bond Conditions: However, the institute also implemented the a compulsory bond conditions for the students opting the free MBBS seats. It clarified that all students who have taken admission in the university have to compulsorily serve in any of the free hospitals established by or registered with the University or allied trusts, institutions or foundations of the sponsoring body in rural areas or medically underserved areas as may be posted or transferred by the university at its complete discretion in total for such period equal to such number of years the course student has studied in the University. For the MBBS medical course, it will be five years of compulsory service. During their service, the university will pay the salary as per its norms and regulations.Therefore, the MBBS students will have to mandatorily serve at the institute for altogether 5 years and if they fail to comply with the terms, they will have to pay a huge penalty of Rs 3.6 crore plus hostel fees.In the case of discontinuation or termination from the said course, the students will have to pay the fee of the entire course fixed for NRI candidate of respective courses, including the hostel fees i.e. altogether Rs 1.8 crore.As per the latest media report by The Hindu, the management of the institute had decided to offer free medical education in 40% government quota seats and the management further proposed to the State Government to reserve 40% of government quota seats for students from the State, including students who have studied the qualifying examination from the educational institutions of the Sri Satya Sai University for Human Excellence or the sponsoring body, through Special Free of Cost Admission Reservation Policy (SFCARP).’However, instead of introducing a separate policy, the government had instructed the KEA to allow the SMSIMSR to offer free medical education to students who agree to work in the institution, along with other conditions, under government quota seats.However, in the first round of NEET counselling, which was conducted by KEA recently, the students did not show any interest in the free seats. Commenting on this the Executive Director of KEA, S. Ramya told The Hindu, “In the first round of NEET counselling, zero fee medical seats were allotted to seven students. But, these students have not shown any interest in joining the college. They have opted for second round of counselling. Therefore, we will put all theses seats for second round counselling.”Speaking about the matter, Govinda Reddy, Chief Liaison officer of SMSIMSR, said, “Already 5% of management quota seats have been filled. But, in the counselling, students are not showing...