Uttarakhand is getting ready to roll out a big change for medical graduates—if you finish your MBBS and want to go for a postgraduate (PG) seat, you’ll need to work five years in the state first. The government’s working on a draft policy that makes this rule official. The main goal? Put more doctors in hilly and rural areas, where clinics often run short-staffed.
Right now, a lot of young doctors leave public service early to chase PG admissions, which leaves big gaps in local hospitals. The Health Department thinks a longer service requirement will help fix this—give people in tough-to-reach places better access to care and keep fresh talent in the system.
Here’s how the policy is shaping up so far:
– All MBBS graduates, from any state, who join Uttarakhand’s health services need to serve five years before they can apply for PG.
– The policy is still a draft and waiting for the cabinet’s green light.
– If you leave the position early, you could encounter a heavy penalty as high as ₹1 crore.
Of course, this idea isn’t without controversy. Courts, including the Supreme Court, have already questioned whether such strict bond rules are fair. Still, Uttarakhand argues that these rules make sense—it’s a way to get some return on the state’s investment in medical education.
If the cabinet accepts this policy, this may lead to more doctors in rural area hospitals and fewer vacant positions. It might also depress some young doctors from coming to Uttarakhand in the first place, and the high penalties could feel like a heavy problem for those young doctors who have just started out.
In the end, Uttarakhand’s proposal could shake up how medical careers work in the state. It promises better healthcare for underserved areas, but it also stirs up real concerns about doctors’ freedom to choose where and how they work. Now, it’s up to the state cabinet to decide where that balance should land.