The Madras High Court has issued a notice seeking a response from Health and Family Welfare Department on a petition which sought to declare its act of retaining original certificates of postgraduate medical students till they completed two years of compulsory service in a Government Hospital or payment of bond amount of ₹20 lakh as completely illegal and unconstitutional.
The petition filed by K.Raj Santan of Chennai came up before Justice K. Ravichandra Baabu. After issuing notice to the Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Directorate of Medical Education, and the Dean, Stanley Medical College, Chennai, for filing counter, the judge posted the matter for hearing to next week.
The petitioner, Raj Santan, a medical doctor, had completed his PG Course (MD-General Medicine) in Stanley Medical college in 2014-17 and is a non-service candidate. He obtained admission in postgraduate course in Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Medical Entrance examination.
At the time of admission to the course, the authorities obtained the signature of all the candidates in an agreement/bond wherein non-service candidates such as the petitioner and similarly placed candidates, were required to give an assurance that they would serve the State government for a period not less than two years after completion of their course and if two years of service were not completed, the candidate should pay a sum of ₹ 20 lakh.
