Gujarat HC directs state govt to return documents of MBBS student

Gujarat High Court has directed the state government to return the documents of an MBBS graduate from GMERS.

While disapproving the practice of Indian medical students going abroad after completing their MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) instead of serving in the rural areas of the country, the Gujarat High Court has also directed the state government to return the documents of an MBBS graduate from Gujarat Medical Education & Research Society (GMERS) of 2015 batch, whose documents were withheld by the government as the student failed to pay Rs 2 lakh bond in lieu of one-year rural service after the internship.

The father of the student argued in the court that if the documents were not released the student would not be able to get employment abroad.

The High Court bench comprising of Justice Karia said, "It was a pious duty on part of the student to render service to the government, to pay back the obligation he has undertaken by paying back to the society or to pay the money for not rendering his services in order to pursue his education abroad. By taking advantage of education facility available in the country and then fleeing abroad without rendering any service to this country is deprecated," as reported by TOI.

However, the HC bench also questioned the state government under which rule it withheld the student's documents and also termed this act of government as barbarism. The court made it clear that the government cannot ruin a person's career by withholding their documents. 

The court has directed the Gujarat government to return the documents and also said that "You cannot retain original documents for any fault committed by the student." 

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