Compulsory bond service for medical graduates is legally justified as a condition for subsidized education, and allocations to Primary Health Centres align with public health needs.

ORDER :

The Petitions:

1. These Writ Petitions are related and are therefore disposed of by this common order.

1.1. Writ Petition No.2025 of 2026 has been filed by six petitioners. They were admitted to the Government Medical Colleges in Tamil Nadu for the academic year 2021-2022 through the All India Quota, based on their merit in the NEET PG examination. They pursued their courses and successfully completed their respective specialities, namely MS Orthopaedics, MS Ophthalmology, and MD Respiratory Medicine. At the time of admission, they were required to execute a compulsory service bond undertaking to serve the State Government for a period of two years. Upon completing their courses, the petitioners had to deposit their original educational and registration certificates with the concerned Medical Colleges. It is the duty of the State to issue postings and deploy them in positions appropriate to their qualifications and specialities so that the purpose of the bond- namely, utilising specialised medical expertise for public benefit- is fulfilled. While awaiting counselling for bond service postings, the petitioners were called to participate in the counselling conducted by the Greater Chennai Corporation and were issued posting orders on 13.05.2025, assigning them to various Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), and Emergency Obstetrics Care Centres. The petitioners had no other option but to join the duty. Therefore, the writ petition is filed seeking a Mandamus to post them in any Government Hospitals/Medical Colleges and Hospitals, consistent with their specialities and qualifications, for the remainder of the bond period, or alternatively, to relieve them from the bond service and direct the respondents to return their original certificates and documents.

1.2. Writ Petition No.2831 of 2026 is filed by thirty-five petitioners. They were admitted to Government Medical Colleges for the academic year 2022-2023 based on their merit in the NEET PG examination. These petitioners successfully completed MS Obstetrics and Gynaecology in October/November 2025. While so, all these specialists in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology were called for, and only for some, allocation was made in the specialist posts of Obstetrics and Gynaecology based on date of birth, which has no rationale or nexus with the objectives sought to be achieved. These petitioners were issued posting orders on 05.12.2025, deploying them to Primary Health Centres. Therefore, they also make a similar prayer as above.

1.3. Writ Petition No.2924 of 2026 is filed by the petitioner, who was admitted to Madras Medical College for the academic year 2022-23 into the MS Obstetrics and Gynaecology course based on her merit in the NEET PG examination. She was also issued posting orders on 05.12.2025, deploying her to Primary Health Centres, as in the case of the petitioners in the above Writ Petition No. 2831 of 2026 and she also makes a similar prayer.

1.4. Writ Petition No. 5520 of 2026 is filed by twenty-nine petitioners. They completed their Post Graduate courses during October/November 2025 in various Government Medical Colleges in Tamil Nadu, specialising in MD General Medicine, MD Paediatrics, MD Respiratory Medicine, MD Dermatology, Venereology & Leprosy (DVL), and MS Otorhinolaryngology. They were given only a two-day notice to attend the counselling on 30.01.2026, and without any vacancy list or speciality-wise breakup details, they were deployed only to Primary Health Centres. Posting orders dated 02.02.2026 were communicated to them on 06.02.2026. Therefore, they have also approached