5 year Service Bond-3 private medical colleges issued notices by Puducherry Govt

Puducherry: Three private medical colleges and hospitals have been issued notices by the Puducherry government to reprimand them for asking students seeking admission to postgraduate medical courses to sign a five-year service bond to serve in the colleges.

One of the bond terms states that the students are liable to pay Rs 90 lakh if they leave midway of the promised bond tenure.

The notices by the government were issued by the Health Secretary V Candavelou on Monday to Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College and Hospital (SMVMC) , Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College and Hospital (SVMC) and Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), asking why legal and penal action must not be initiated against them for demanding the above-stated bond service terms.

"The Medical Council of India, Ministry of Health, and Puducherry government have not prescribed execution of any such bond for getting admission to postgraduate courses. The action of the institutes shall have to be construed as nothing but intimidation of students with a mala fide intention to deny seats to the meritorious students duly sponsored by Centac (Centralised admission committee)," Candavelou reiterated to TOI.

The students, who attended the open house grievances' meet organized by the health secretariat, indicated that they were not intimated by the Centac about that the Centac about the management seats 'service bond' condition while registering for counselling and while holding of the first or second round of counselling .

The students complained that they were not able to join the courses despite selection as they had been unaware of the service bond condition and the liable fine of Rs. 90 lakh if they decided to quit the course midway.

They insisted that the Centac authorities be present during the time of admission so that they were not compelled to sign the service bond.

Meanwhile, Centac on Tuesday organized All India quota seat counselling surrendered in Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and research institute. Three seats were filled up by the committee under all India quota in the government college.

The committee also organized mop-up counselling for government seats in the three private medical colleges.

It filled up10 seats in SMVMC four seats in Pims, and two in SVMC. There are 6 government seats vacant in PIMS, 7 in SMVMC and 9 in SVMC. Mop-up counselling by the committee for management seats will be held at 3 pm on May 16.