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Punjab Enforces MBBS Bond With Property Pledges as IMA Seeks Rollback

Officials say the measure tackles doctor shortages through mandatory government service.

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The move is aimed at addressing the acute shortage of doctors in Punjab, say medical education department officials. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The Punjab medical education department’s decision to seek two separate sureties of properties from aspirants, equivalent to a ₹20 lakh bond from aspirants seeking MBBS admission in government colleges, has triggered a sharp backlash from parents, the Resident Doctors Association, and the Punjab chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). (Representational image)

Overview

  • Government medical colleges have issued notices requiring parents to pledge two properties as sureties for a ₹20 lakh bond, with warnings that students who do not comply will be barred from classes.
  • Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot set a September 19 deadline ahead of classes starting September 24, while Government Medical College, Patiala extended its deadline to September 26 after initially setting September 20.
  • From the 2025–26 session, MBBS entrants must serve two years in government facilities or pay ₹20 lakh, with All-India quota students required to serve one year; the bond spans roughly 7.5 years and restricts sale or re-pledging of the surety properties.
  • Parents, the IMA Punjab and the Resident Doctors Association call the property-based surety punitive and discriminatory, citing heavy financial and mental stress on students and families.
  • DRME says colleges are implementing directives and that needy students can seek case-by-case relief, while a separate update increases PG bonds to three years and ₹30 lakh for state-quota seats and two years and ₹20 lakh for the all-India quota.