Bill to scrap year-long mandatory rural service for medical graduates moved in Karnataka Assembly

The Karnataka government moved three bills, including one that seeks to replace an ordinance to scrap the mandatory one-year service in rural areas for students graduating from medical colleges in the state, in the assembly on Tuesday.

The bill was tabled by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

Its statement of objects and reasons state that the bill amends sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Karnataka Compulsory Services by Candidates Completed Medical Courses Act, 2012.

It is to exempt candidates selected to central or state government services from compulsorily serving in rural areas.

Under the Karnataka Compulsory Service by Candidates Completed Medical Courses Act, all MBBS, postgraduate and super-speciality graduates were to serve a year compulsorily in government healthcare institutions in rural areas as junior residents.

In October, Law Minister HK Patil, in his briefing about the Cabinet decision on the ordinance, had said rural service would be confined to the number of vacant posts in the government.

Stating that the decision was taken as the number of applicants for rural service far exceeded vacancies in government hospitals, he had said the government was reducing the financial burden and also rationalising human resources with the move.

The government also moved the Karavali Development Board Bill for overall development of the Karavali (coastal) area and the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill to replace the ordinance.

The Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill amends the 1993 act to comply with the Karnataka High Court’s directions to conduct elections to rural local bodies within the time limit by prescribing population limit for polls to taluks and zilla panchayats by excluding the Bhadravathi, Shivamogga and the Shikaripura taluks of Shivamogga district in proportion to their population.