Gurgaon: Around 300 MBBS graduates who cleared NEET-PG and secured postgraduate seats risk losing them because their original documents are with the state govt under its bond policy.The doctors, who are racing against time as they face a Nov 2 deadline to complete admission verification formalities, have written to the directorate of health education for the release of their original documents, saying years of study and a hard-won opportunity to specialise in their subjects anywhere in the country could be jeopardised by an administrative delay.The dispute has affected graduates from four govt medical colleges — PGIMS, Rohtak; Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Govt Medical College in Nuh; Kalpana Chawla Govt Medical College in Karnal; and BPS Govt Medical College for Women in Sonipat.The doctors said colleges are retaining not just their permanent MBBS degrees, but also detailed mark cards for all four professional examinations, internship documents, character and attempt certificates, and permanent registration papers issued by Haryana Medical Council. They argued that the bond policy provided for withholding only the permanent degree, not these other documents. A provisional degree, they insisted, could serve in its place.They have addressed their letter seeking the originals to Dhirendra Khadgata, director of medical education and research, and marked a copy to Sumita Misra, additional chief secretary of health.WHY DOCUMENTS MATTERPage 51 of Medical Counselling Committee’s information bulletin specifies that candidates are required to produce original certificates for physical verification. A sealed certificate or receipt confirming that their documents are held by a govt department may not meet this requirement, the graduates said. Without the originals, candidates risk being unable to complete formalities for MD and MS courses, even after securing seats through All India Quota counselling.“The bond policy did not provide for withholding all these certificates. Only the permanent degree was to be held back, and students could use a provisional degree instead,” said Dr Akshat Mittal, a 2020-batch graduate of PGIMS Rohtak.WHAT IS BOND POLICY?Introduced in Nov 2020, govt’s undergraduate bond policy seeks to ensure that doctors serve in the state’s medical system rather than move immediately into private practice. It requires graduates to serve for five years in public service or meet the applicable financial liability. The framework also allows them to pursue higher education in any medical college in the country through NEET-PG.The MBBS batch that took admission in Jan 2021 was the first to be covered under this policy. This batch graduated in Feb this year.But the affected graduates said govt has yet to put the promised employment mechanism in place. According to Mittal, the online portal intended to facilitate recruitment under the policy had not been created even nine months after their graduation. Vacancies, he added, had also shrunk after recruitment through Haryana Civil Medical Services (HCMS).“The state govt introduced the bond on the premise that doctors were unwilling to serve in public institutions. Yet, more than 12,000 doctors applied for just 450 HCMS vacancies. Doctors are ready to work. The state just needs to provide enough posts,” he said.Mittal said the govt had time until Feb 2027 to fulfil its employment obligation, but the immediate deadline to submit documents for higher studies was Nov 2. “We understand the bond conditions. But a dispute over employment and documents should not shut the door on higher education,” he added.Dr Tanisha Agarwal, another PGIMS graduate who secured an All India Rank of 8,800 in NEET-PG, said her seat had brought anxiety rather than relief. “Original documents are mandatory for verification. Yet, ours remain with the state. We were assured the bond policy would not hamper higher education. Now, our future is on hold,” she added.Dr Agarwal said representations to the college director and Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) had yielded no resolution. Rachit, a graduate of SHKM GMC in Nalhar, who secured an All India Rank of 4,700 and an MD seat, said repeated approaches to the dean, director and DMER had also drawn blanks. Ankit Arora, another graduate of the college allotted an MD seat, said they could approach court if the documents are not released in time.Dr Ritu Ahlawat of PGIMS Rohtak said graduates were willing to fulfil the bond, but the retention of documents was preventing them from exercising their right to pursue higher studies.Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also written to DMER, seeking immediate release of original documents for NEET-PG all India counselling. In a letter signed by its president, Dr Sunila Soni, IMA sought a clear release deadline, uniform implementation across colleges, confirmation that pending bond formalities would not block admissions, and a standard procedure for future batches.In a fresh round of discussions on Thursday, DMER told a student delegation that file work at the directorate was completed and the file sent to the health minister for approval and signatures. The director also assured them that once it returned, deans would be asked to release documents against a prescribed affidavit.Students, however, said they had received no formal communication by the end of the day and were seeking meetings with the health minister and chief minister’s office.A senior official at the directorate of health education told TOI that govt was working to release the documents. The official said graduates had been given sealed certificates issued in the name of the medical college director as proof that their originals were held by the department.“We are also working to provide jobs under the bond policy. The process would be completed soon,” the official said.
