Understanding the Bond Policy in NEET UG: A State-Wise Overview

Hello future doctors. The bond policy for NEET UG is an important point that students often forget to consider before taking admission to a college. A bond is basically an agreement that requires students to serve in rural or government hospitals for a specified period after completing their medical education. You have to fill this up compulsorily before the beginning of your course.

Failure to fulfill the bond usually results in a hefty penalty of lakhs of rupees. Not every state has the same bond policy. Some have 5 years of bond whereas some have none. Some states might charge you 25 lakhs in penalty while some might charge only 5 lakhs. 

Let’s discuss in detail the bond policy of various states. Before that, let’s understand the two types of bonds.

Types of MBBS Bonds:

The two types of bonds are service bonds and discontinuation bonds. These bonds apply to both, the state quota and the All India Quota students studying in the college.

Service Bond: 

Urban or Rural Service Bond

This bond applies after you are done with your course. After getting the MBBS degree, you will be expected to serve as a senior doctor. The state health department will allocate a hospital, or a primary health center or a community health center to all passing MBBS students from Government Medical Colleges. There will be a specific term for which you must serve at this center. 

Your MBBS qualification certificate will be given to you only after you are done with the bond. If you choose not to do it, you will have to pay a certain amount of money to receive your qualification certificate.

Compulsory Rural Service Bond: 

This is a type of service bond with some added conditions. In most states, you can serve your compulsory service bond in either an urban locality or a rural health center, as mentioned above. But, some states are strict about the location and expect you to serve in rural centers only.

So, the student must serve in PHC/CHC after completing MBBS under the respective state government’s policy. This mostly applies to the states offering Scholarship Schemes or Fee Reimbursement schemes for economically weaker students.

Discontinue Penalty Bond: 

Students have to complete the MBBS degree once they are admitted. Students who want to leave the course before completing their MBBS degree have to pay some money too. This is known as the discontinuation bond. 

This bond covers all seat quotas and categories across various institutes. 

Bank Guarantee:

To make sure that the student is financially capable of paying the penalty if he wants to leave the course midway, some State Governments require a specific bank guarantee. This is taken on a particular amount at the time of MBBS admission confirmation. 

The Fixed deposit is frozen by a nationalized bank until the student completes the course and fulfills the bond terms. If students do not fulfill the government service after MBBS completion, the bank guarantee is forfeited. This is similar to the process of taking a loan.

Deemed Universities and Private Universities:

Students often ask if studying from deemed or private universities also requires a bond. Well, you do not have MBBS service bonds in these universities. They ask for an affidavit from parents to ensure fee payment and course completion. But they do not make it compulsory to provide hospital service after completing the MBBS course.

The only catch is that if you wish to discontinue your course, you will have to pay the pay complete 5-year fees regardless.

Also, only some states have bonds for private and deemed courses too.

Some important points.

If the government fails to provide a vacancy for a service bond after completing MBBS within a period of 3 months, then the bond becomes null and void. This has been decided by the Supreme Court. This means that you are free from the bond without having to pay a penalty.

And, if you get a PG seat in India instantly, you can complete the bond after completing your PG course. 

But, unlike Indian PG, if you get a PG seat abroad instantly after MBBS, you will have to pay the penalty before leaving. You cannot complete the bond after completing Post Graduation in another country. Alternatively, you can apply for foreign PG courses after completing your bond in India.

In addition to the service bond, some states like Maharashtra have a stipulation that the candidate cannot leave the country for 5 years post-completion of MBBS. If they do so, they owe DMER an additional fee of Rs. 10 lakhs.

Now that we have had an overview of the bond policies, let’s gauge the bond duration and penalty for different states.

State-Wise Bond Policy Overview

The list has been updated as per the 2024 bond policies.

How to Navigate the Bond Policy

It is important to consider the bond policy of a state while selecting colleges for choice filling. 

If you are not willing to serve the bond period, consider the financial implications. Some states allow you to pay the penalty but some do not. The bond period comes with a lot of experience and you will also be paid during your service. But, you might have to delay your future plans.

Consult with current students or alumni of the college to get insights into the bond policy. 

Consider getting a college from AIQ if you do not wish to serve the bond in your state. The decision is completely yours.

All the best friends.