Karnataka Mandates 10-Year Service Bond for Doctors Pursuing DNB and Diploma
The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department has introduced sweeping and highly controversial revisions to its higher education rules, locking in-service medical officers into long-term commitments.
Under the new directive, government doctors who choose to pursue postgraduate medical education via Diplomate of National Board (DNB) or Diploma courses must now commit to a staggering 10-year service bond within their specific medical department upon completion.
Key Highlights of the New Rule:
• The 10-Year Lock-In: Doctors are required to submit a legally binding written undertaking before commencing their DNB or Diploma course, agreeing to serve the state health department for a full decade post-qualification.
• Strict Academic Penalties: The state will no longer tolerate academic delays or poor performance. If a doctor fails to complete the course within the stipulated timeframe, fails to diligently maintain clinical logbooks, or does not meet the academic benchmarks set by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), they will be subjected to massive financial penalties.
• Tougher Eligibility: To even be eligible to apply for these PG courses via the in-service quota (or deputation), medical officers must first have completed a minimum of seven years of regular government service (six years for General Duty Medical Officers).
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Why This is Sparking Massive Backlash:
The 10-year bond is being viewed as the breaking point for in-service medical officers who are already protesting the state’s recent counselling restrictions. Recently, the Karnataka government severely limited the specialty branches available to in-service doctors, restricting MD/MS options to just six branches while allowing nine for DNB.
Many doctors report feeling “forced” into taking DNB courses which are often conducted in district or taluk hospitals with less complex case exposure compared to NMC-regulated medical colleges, only to now be hit with a decade-long service trap. The Karnataka Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) has strongly condemned the move, arguing it strips doctors of their professional autonomy and unfairly penalizes those who have already dedicated years to the public healthcare system.
