MUMBAI, Oct. 7 -- Even as government MBBS seats in Maharashtra have risen from 4,080 in 2020 to 5,140 in 2025, medical interns say the applicant-to-vacancy ratio for compulsory bond service has worsened. Under the bond service rule, every government medical college graduate must serve one year in a government hospital or pay a penalty of Rs.10 lakh if the bond is broken. Those unable to serve are required to pay Rs.10,000 per unserved month before applying for postgraduate (PG) seats. While interns who clear PG exams in the first two rounds are allowed to complete their bond after PG, those attempting a third round are barred from taking admission unless they clear their bond first. This, students say, has left thousands of young doctors stranded without postings or clarity on their future."There are only around 1,000 to 1,200 bond vacancies available for more than 5,000 doctors every year," said Dr Utkarsh Lakhe, president of the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI). "This includes older batches who have not been allotted a compulsory bond posting. The gap between bond posts and seats has pushed many into uncertainty and financial distress, as they have to pay lakhs of rupees in penalties." Around six months ago, ASMI approached the DMER, requesting an exemption from the bond, a waiver of penalties for non-service or an increase in the number of vacancies. "Officials had told us the matter was under discussion but multiple follow-ups have yielded no result," said Dr Lakhe. According to Dr Abhishek Patil, vice-president of ASMI, the allotment process itself is opaque. "Many vacancies never even appear on the DMER portal," he said. "Officials claim that seats are displayed online but several are internally allotted. Some districts keep posts reserved and later show no vacancy." DMER officials did not respond to calls from HT....