BENGALURU: The registration date for rendering mandatory rural service has been extended for the 2017-batch
MBBS students
, who were already despairing at having been called up to fulfil their obligation over eight months after graduation.
According to the students, this is the sixth circular regarding rural service obligation since their graduation, and their postings have always been postponed, casting uncertainty over their future academic and career plans.
The latest circular, dated December 19, 2023, from the department of health and family welfare states the dates have been extended as all students are yet to register for rural service. "The calender of events published on December 15 stands revised as a last measure for the candidates to register for counselling in order to avoid paying penalty," it states.
The registration deadline has been extended by eight days to December 26. The vacant positions will be published by December 27 and the posting orders are to be made by January 5. The last date for joining service is January 12.
However, students alleged that the dates have been put off only because the vacancy list is yet to be readied. In fact, department officials confirmed the list is not yet ready. "We've prepared the list and have sent it to the government for ratification. We're yet to get it from the government," an official said.
However, the official vehemently denied the claim that the postponement was because of this. "About 3,300 students have registered for rural service. The total number of eligible candidates could be around 3,700. We wanted to give students one more chance. We're already delayed. If we aren't considerate, they'll raise a complaint for that."
'Misled' by govt: Students
The students, meanwhile, are not impressed. "Many of our friends resigned from jobs so they could be ready in time for rural service. Now, they are jobless. This is the umpteenth time rural service has been postponed. It has been nine months since we graduated," said a student.
"NEET PG-2024 is in March. We've been begging them to post us for the past nine months. How could the government sit on this and mislead us so many times?" asked another student.
"The government had promised that the students would be placed by December. Now that the winter session is over, no one cares. All the circulars are there for political gain. The government is taking away our freedom to live and earn," alleged yet another candidate.
"The Madhya Pradesh high court had said the rural service bond becomes ineffective if the doctors aren't given postings within a stipulated time frame. Prior to that, Bombay high court had said if the students aren't posted within a period of one month of declaration of results, the doctors can be discharged of their bond conditions. None of us is proceeding legally because of a lack of time. It's like we are literally trapped," said one candidate.
TOI had earlier reported on how students can exercise the option of exemption from rural service based on their
MBBS
marks.
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