Let the backtracking begin...

Now the medical students would not have to do six months extra work.

The country that does the best job of extracting its pound of flesh from the medical students is the US. Countries like US and UK also strip off the dignity of foreign medical graduates in the name of training them to meet the high medical standards of their own country. While the US and the UK merely protect high paying jobs and immigration possibilities respectively, the case in India seems to be one of exploitation of the economically privileged. The six month rotation in rural areas mainly comprises of passing time in various "departments" of a rural hospital that has never seen a staff doctor.

States like Kansas in the US sponsor education of their state residents in exchange for a couple of years work in rural areas. Maybe that is the way to go in case rural participation needs to be encouraged for medical doctors.

Politicians will be politicians. I will leave it at that as far as motivation for this move is concerned.

नवीन बकरे आहेत...त्यांना पाठ्वा गावखेड़यात..

That is what the Maharashtra government thinks about the new medical graduates. Easy pickings for postings to remote locations. It is a not a fair idea as there is no point for new graduates to be sitting around doing nothing and having no learning opportunities at these postings. Typically these are unstaffed outposts and the students are mostly private college students that have shelled out gazillions and have social/professional/education plans in the works. A lot of them are from out of state.

If this rule is enforced, it just means the guys handing out the future "No Objection Certificates" will become quite rich and content. Rather than forcing all to serve in rural areas, how about allowing a choice for medical students and subsidizing their education for guaranteed service for a few years in rural areas?