Haryana: Students call off 54-day-long protest MBBS bond policy

CHANDIGARH: MBBS students in Haryana on Saturday called off their 54-day-long protest against the state government's bond policy. The move came three days after the government notified its amended bond policy.

The policy was amended following a meeting of protesting students with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar last month. Ankit Gulia, President of Resident Doctors Association at PGIMS, Rohtak, said the protest was called off on Saturday as the amended bond policy will provide relief to MBBS students.

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On other demands of medical students, Gulia said students will be given relaxation in attendance and their exams slated for December 26 will be postponed. A case registered against MBBS students will also be withdrawn, he said. Student leader Anuj Dhania also said they withdrew their protest on Saturday after they were assured of quashing the FIR and postponement of exams.

Students ended their protest in the presence of Anita Saxena, Vice Chancellor of Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences in Rohtak. The Haryana government had three days back notified its amended bond policy in which it reduced the bond policy amount and cut down the duration for compulsory government service from seven to five years.

According to the amendments, the bond amount for male MBBS students in government medical colleges will be Rs 25.77 lakh and 10 per cent less at Rs 23.19 lakh for female students. Earlier, the bond amount was Rs 36.41 lakh. The new bond policy is applicable from 2020-21 onwards. MBBS students at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak and some other medical colleges had been holding protests for the past almost two months against the bond policy.