Maharashtra: Bank guarantee, Signing of bonds for PG at Private Medical Colleges NOT ALLOWED

Nagpur: A state directive has been issued to private medical colleges to disallow postgraduate (PG) students from serving any bond period and has also asked them to refrain from demanding any bank guarantee from the students for the fees in later years at the time of admission.

A Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) ‘s government ruling issued on May 19, 2018, disallowed private unaided colleges from asking PG students (MD/MS) to serve a bond in the colleges after completion of their PG degrees. The GR prohibited the private medical colleges from continuing this practice, announcing the move as illegal. It further cautioned defaulters of action being taken against them in the future. .The ruling said that if the institutions charged a bank guarantee it would be considered as ‘capitation fees’ which too was illegal.

According to Dr Prakash Wakode, joint director, DMER the decision to stop these two practices was a result of various complaints received from over 15 private colleges in the state. “These colleges were blatantly violating the norms. Students from government colleges are made to serve the bond as they get an education on a very subsidized rate from the government. And hence they have some liability towards the society. Nothing of this sort exists with the private colleges. They charge huge fees. Hence the students cannot be forced to serve any bond. Also just due to fear of students leaving college in the middle of the course or not paying fees these colleges cannot take three years bank guarantee,” Dr Wakode informed TOI.

The joint director further added that if the institutions moved court on the matter they would no longer hold grounds for the reasons stated above.

Dean, NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences, and Lata Mangeshkar Hospital, Dr Kajal Mitra meanwhile, admitted to being in the know of the GR and revealed that he had put up the issue for the management’s views and was waiting for their response, before entertaining student requests to be relieved of the bond. “Management is seeking legal opinion,” he added to the TOI.