Punjab hikes bond service penalty, tenure for PG medical admissions

Patiala: Amid the backlash over the MBBS bond service penalty, the Punjab Government has now revised the bond policy for the postgraduate (PG) medical students in the State.

For both the State quota and all-India quota students, the State government has increased the bond service tenure and the amount of bond penalty, which the PG medical graduates need to pay if they fail to fulfil the bond service conditions.

As per the notification issued by the Principal Secretary to the Government of Punjab, Department of Medical Education & Research on 13.06.2025, candidates other than in service Regular PCMS/PCMS, the bond service period is 3 years and the amount of Indemnity bond/Bank Guarantee is Rs 30 lakh and for the All India quota candidates, the bond service period is 2 years and the amount of Indemnity bond/Bank Guarantee is Rs 20 lakh.

Previously, the bond period for state-quota students was two years while for the all-India quota students, the bond period was one year.

According to HT report, the state government has also increased the bond amount from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh for students under the state quota, and Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh under the all-India quota.

Also Read:Rs 40 lakh penalty for MD, MS, Rs 20 lakh for PG Diploma: Tamil Nadu Bond Service Policy

Bond money concerning Service after completion of the course will be as under: -

As per the latest media report by Hindustan Times, officials of the State medical education department of Punjab claimed that the new step is expected to boost the department's capacity to monitor and upgrade the healthcare services across the State. Currently, only 1,108 posts of medical specialists- out of the 2,098 sanctioned posts for general medical officers- are filled, leaving 1,962 (47%) posts vacant.

"The policy is aimed at addressing the acute shortage of doctors in the state," a senior official of the State Medical Education Department told HT on the condition of anonymity.

Commenting on the matter, the State President of Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS), Dr Akhil Sarin said, "Although this move seems to be aimed at providing specialist services to the underserved, and minimise the out-of-pocket expenditure of the patients, it should be effectively coupled with regular walk-in interviews for specialist doctors. As far as hiking the bond money is concerned, the government should certainly reconsider its decision and adopt a considerate view on this issue."

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr. Milanpreet from RDA Patiala pointed out how medical aspirants go through years of medical education to become a doctor. If the students clear the entrance exam in the first attempt, they have to undergo 5 years of MBBS course, then again, the students have to serve a bond for the government. Now, the State has introduced a bond service condition for the MBBS graduates for a period of three years, he pointed out. "

"After this, they have to spend 1-2 years to get into an MD/MS programme and undergo the course for two or three more years. Then again, they have to undergo superspecialization for three years. It will take around 20 years for the students to become full fledged doctors. Then, the doctors will have no patients, because when he will sit then he will get OPD of patients. It will take around 10 more years to get patients," he added.

Referring to the bond service condition for the PG medical students in Punjab, he opined that instead of this, students will choose to go outside to pursue further education.

Medical Dialogues had reported that earlier this year, the Punjab Government introduced a new bond policy for students getting enrolled into the MBBS and BDS courses in the State-run medical and dental colleges to tackle the shortage of doctors in government health institutes.