I am from a middle class family. My sister and I were raised by a single mother. I was able to study in a government medical college only because I got a good rank and more importantly because the fees were affordable.

Private colleges have always been out of reach of the average Indian middle class.

I know countless students in my batch who come from underprivileged families & are able to achieve their dream of becoming a doctor only because of govt medical colleges.

Raising medical college fees to exorbitant amounts is not just going to make medical education inaccessible for the underprivileged/middle class families, but is also going to shatter the ambitions of millions of students aspiring to be doctors.

Case in point : The Haryana Govt has come up with an outrageous policy that at the time of admission to a Govt. Medical College for MBBS course, a candidate shall have to execute an annual bond for an amount of Rs.10 Lakh, which is to be paid at the start of every academic year.

That’s not all. This bond is to be be paid at the start of every academic year AND The candidate shall continue to pay the bond till term of the MBBS degree i.e 4.5 years.

So, what happens if the student cannot pay the amount/ doesn’t have the means to pay?

Well, in that case, The govt very *generously* suggests that such candidates can opt for an “education loan” from a “scheduled bank or any other Financial Institution” and that the State Govt of Haryana will facilitate him/her for availing the said education loan.

So, people must be wondering, “what’s the issue? Loan hi toh lene bola hai na?”

Well, here is the problem:

The tenure of the loan will be SEVEN years after internship, i.e. the candidate must either continue to serve the govt for 7 years or repay the loan.

But wait, there’s a catch.
“This policy does not make it mandatory/obligatory for the State
Government to provide employment to the MBBS graduate (cont).”
Meaning, the 7 years of bond DO NOT guarantee entry into State Health Services.

“So, fees must be less no, beta?”

No. The fees aren’t less in anyway.
Earlier the fee was Rs 53,000 per annum besides the hostel fees of Rs 15,000-20,000.

But now, here’s the new fee structure:

To be really honest, if I was a class 12th passed student in Haryana at this moment, aspiring to crack NEET and get into a government medical college, this policy would make it impossible for me, a girl from a middle class family, to even think of following my dreams.