Bonds executed for compulsory rural service of MBBS graduates prior to July 22, 2022 are illegal: Karnataka High Court

Around 440 MBBS graduates of 2021 are not required to undergo one year of compulsory rural service as per the bond signed by them while joining the medical course through government-quota seats in 2015 as the High Court of Karnataka has said the law, enacted in 2012 for mandatory rural service, remained unenforced for 10 years as it was published in the official gazette only in July 2022. ‘Can’t escape now’ However, the court said the rules are in place today with their publication in the gazette in July 2022 and the students admitted to the MBBS course under government quota seats cannot now escape the rigour of compulsory rural service or execution of bonds in terms of the rules. Global trend On petitioners making a hue and cry about compulsory rural service by projecting various difficulties that doctors would face to undergo such service, the court said that mandatory rural service is not alien to the medical profession in any part of the globe, nomenclature may change but concept is same. Stating that the Health Insurance Act of Australia has a ‘bonded medical programme’ for the retention of health professionals in rural and remote Australia, the court said that the World Health Organization too recommends compulsory rural/community service programmes for doctors under different category, one of which include educationally linked regulations.