NEET PG Bond: Service Bonds and Penalties for Different States

The NEET PG bond is a contract between the student and the state government or college authority to fulfil certain conditions, failing which the student has to pay a hefty penalty to the aggrieved party. Medical graduates who clear the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) PG may be required to enter into a bond either with the college authority or the state government where their medical college is located.

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The bond details NEET PG that a medical graduate enters into after admission to a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Master of Surgery (MS) programme are mentioned below:

Different Types of Bond for NEET PG 2024

Service Bond: A service bond in NEET PG is a contract between the medical graduate and the state government to render medical service in the same state where they pursued their post-graduation. The service NEET PG bond sometimes involves compulsory serving in rural areas of the state or providing rural service in the state after their post-graduation programme for a certain period.

Seat Leaving Bond: A seat leaving bond, or the admission bond for NEET PG 2024 is an agreement between a medical graduate and the medical college or the state government where they are enrolled in a post-graduate programme. As per the seat leaving NEET PG bond details the medical graduate is under the commitment with the institute or the state not to leave the post-graduate programme before it is completed.

Bank Guarantee: State-wise bond for NEET PG also involves the medical graduate submitting a bank guarantee in a medical institute during their admission process in the MD or MS programme. This guarantee from nationalised banks certifies that the medical graduate made a fixed deposit of a specific amount. This amount is locked as security money until the graduate completes their postgraduate medical education.

Why do MBBS Graduates Serve Bond in NEET PG? Consequences of Ignoring Them

As per NEET PG bond details medical graduates must provide service and medical expertise in the state of their education, especially in rural and underserved areas that lack adequate medical facilities.

If the medical graduate fails to meet the requirement of the bond he or she has to pay a hefty penalty to the state or institute as mentioned in the bond. The amount and duration of service mentioned in NEET PG 2024 bond in different states vary.

For instance, Punjab has a service bond of one year failing which a medical postgraduate has to pay a penalty of Rs 10 lakh. On the other hand, NEET PG state bonds in Arunachal Pradesh are of two years and a penalty for not completing the two year duration is Rs 1 crore.

In certain cases, the state wise bond for NEET PG might differ from one institute to another. For example, Delhi, in general, has no service bond for its medical postgraduates but medical graduates who pursue MD/MS from ESI-PGIMER New Delhi have to enter into a service bond of Rs 10 lakh for two years in ESI Hospitals across India.

As per the details of NEET PG service bond, certain in-service candidates earn some concessions during their admission for the post-graduate programme.

In-service candidates are medical graduates who have rendered their service after completing their MBBS in the same state where they have studied the MD/MS programme. These candidates get certain relaxation in service depending on the duration of service in the state after their MBBS.

In this article, you will find information on NEET PG 2024 bond in different states as well as the penalties charged in case of non-fulfilment of the service bond.

State for NEET PG Without Service Bond

Some states provide bond free medical pg which means it is not mandatory for the medical graduate to serve as a doctor in the state after completing MD/MS programme. With no service bond there is no obligation on the medical graduate to pay any NEET PG bond amount after pursuing their MD/MS. These states have medical colleges without rural service bonds. This means that the medical graduates need not serve in the rural areas of the state after completion of their post-graduate programme.

Careers360 has listed all the states with zero service bond for NEET PG.

Medical graduates completing their MD/MS programme in states like Delhi, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Chandigarh, through NEET PG without service bond.

States With No Service Bond for NEET PG

One year NEET PG Bond State Wise

In some states, medical graduates enter in NEET PG bond with a service bond of one year after completing their MD or MS programme. As per the service bond details NEET PG a medical graduate has to pay a penalty in case of the non-fulfilment of this bond tenure. The students who serve a one-year service bond after medical PG are free to work anywhere in the country.

The table below specifies NEET PG state wise bond with their respective penalty amounts

States With Two Years Service Bond

In certain states, after completing their MD/MS programme with NEET PG, doctors are required to commit to a two-year service bond. This means they agree to work in that state's healthcare system for two years. If they decide to leave before completing this period they have to pay a penalty. The penalty sometimes can be the stipend or the salary the medical graduate earns during the MD/MS programme. In the table above Careers360 has listed the states which have three-year service bonds and the respective penalties charged in case of non-fulfilment of the bond.

States With Two Year Service Bond

States With Three Years Service Bond

In some states, medical graduates must agree with a three-year service bond after completing their MD/MS programme through NEET PG. This commitment means working within the healthcare system of that state for three years. If medical graduates fail to serve in the state for this specified period they are subject to pay a penalty as mentioned in the NEET PG bond agreement. Certain states have a compulsory rural service bond as part of the service bond whereby they are required to provide medical services in designated rural areas of the state after completing their MD/MS.

Listed below are states with a three-year service bond along with the respective penalties set by each state

States With Three Year Service Bonds for NEET PG 2024

Assam sets a 10-year service bond requirement for medical graduates after completing their MD/MS programme with a penalty of Rs 20 lakh, Careers360 could not ascertain the service bond details for Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, and Lakshadweep.

Seat Leaving State-Wise NEET PG 2024 Bonds

The seat-leaving NEET PG state bonds discourage medical graduates from leaving their allocated seats midway through the MD/MS programme. This ensures that the resources are effectively utilised within medical colleges and prevents seats from remaining vacant.

If a medical graduate chooses to leave the MD/MS programme before completing it, they are subject to a penalty for the vacated seat.

The seat leaving NEET PG bond state wise bonds and their penalties vary in different states of India

Haryana Bond Loan

As the postgraduates have to serve a bond after completing their MD/MS degree, likewise there is a service bond for the medical professionals just after their MBBS. In 2022, the Haryana government watered down its service bond policy for students after their MBBS. from seven to five years with a reduced penalty amount of Rs 40 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.

Medical students have the option to work for the government after completing their MBBS. They must return the bond money in full or in smaller instalments each month if they choose not to.

Under the new rule, students are not required to repay anything while still in school, including after graduation.

Moreover, before or during their service term, they are free to pursue further education anywhere in India. However, the time students spend studying is deducted from the five years they have to work after finishing their studies.

The bond will be implemented following the completion of the MBBS course, with a one-year moratorium period. The state government would provide students a contractual service in public health institutions, and government and government-aided medical colleges within a year of completing their MBBS, after which the state government will begin payback on the loans immediately.

As per the amended policy, the medical graduates are free to apply for any Central or State government service, including Judicial Services and the Armed Forces. If the medical graduate secures employment with the Central, any state government, armed forces, or judicial services, the Haryana government will refund the loan.

The Haryana government would return the loan for medical graduates who are unable to get a regular or contractual job even after a year of their MBBS. The medical graduates are only liable to repay the entire loan after MBBS when they decide not to enter into government service at all.