UGC asked to form a committee, to be headed by retired HC judge, to work out fee structures for private medical colleges.
Even as the row over NEET continues to simmer, the Central government is preparing to regulate fees charged by private medical colleges affiliated to ‘deemed universities’ — a move that is likely to invite strong opposition.
The impact of this exercise will be most acutely felt in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra where the bulk of deemed universities offering medical education are located.
Following the orders of the Madras High Court on a PIL in June 2017, the HRD ministry has now directed the University Grants Commission to constitute a committee to work out a fee structure for all medical colleges affiliated to deemed universities.
It has been agreed that representatives of the Union health ministry will also be on the committee. A retired high court judge may be roped in to chair the panel to ensure its credibility, sources told ThePrint.
While the Madras HC orders came in June this year, there was a debate within the ministry on the merits of fixing a fee structure and ensuring parity among diverse medical colleges besides the locus standi of the Medical Council of India on the matter. It was ultimately agreed that representation on the committee from the health ministry would ensure that stakeholders’ concerns over fee-related issues are fully addressed.
While not all deemed universities run medical colleges, the bulk of those that do are located in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. While these medical colleges admitted students on the basis of their own entrance exams until 2015, they were forced to switch to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Examination Test (NEET) in 2016.
This, however, did not prevent medical institutes from effecting huge fee hikes for MBBS courses. In 2016, there were reports of medical colleges resorting to a massive fee increase.
The PIL in the HC was filed after a group of students alleged that a Puducherry-based deemed university was seeking exorbitant advance payments for admissions. The court finally ordered that the UGC and HRD ministry set up a committee to regulate fees in medical colleges coming under deemed universities.
While there are no specific laws mandating a fixed fee structure for higher education institutes or deemed universities, there are provisions in the existing Deemed University Regulations that provide for the government to step in, in case of profiteering by way of fees being charged. These provisions, along with the HC order, will help it go ahead with the fee regulation plan, officials told ThePrint.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had recently set up a committee and notified a fee structure for engineering courses like B.Tech and MBA, capping it at Rs 1.58 lakh per annum and Rs 1.71 lakh per annum, respectively.
Committee asked opinion from stakeholders/public to give a weight age for regulating the deemed university MBBS fee .HC given time up to Oct,end.
There is no sound on this.Hope some thing happening to ease out the problem of parents.It will be very much helpful some body update on this issue.
After mop up round by the DGHS the following seats were found vacant in 2017-18. (a) TN 1065, (b) PY 476, (c) KA 506 (d) MH 773 etc. List of students
Admitted has not yet been published by the colleges. The possibility for 2018-19 still remain same due to non fixation of unique fee structure. So kindly brought the same to the officials concerned through media considering the mental stress of both parents and their wards. Also request MCC to arrange spot admission in one or more places according to their convenience . Maximum parents are helpless to arrange DDs to different colleges towards very high level tuition fee.
I will be really happy if the Government regulates the fees structure of private medical colleges affiliated to deemed universities. But then the question comes why they do things after the court issues orders. Is the Government incapable to take decision on its own????
This rate for government seat or private management seat?
I am an affected middle income parent from TN .
Not only in MBBS buts also in Clinical PG courses even after NEET PG came into force , Fees are exorbitantly charged by Private medical universities in TN and it amounts to profiteering . Even amongst the Private Universities next door and even between clinical courses there is a wide disparity in the Tuition fee which runs in crores for a course .
Eventhough the common counselling with NEET score came under the auspices of the TN department of medical education with allotment from the common counselling , private universities have been collecting exorbitant fee even from meritorious NEET qualified rankers
Keep it up in letter and in spirit,it should be fixed to ensure accessibility to all class of students,the fees are just too high.
There shd be a uniform fee structure in deemed university as well as pvt. Medical colleges through out india.
It is very good step, it should be implemented in all private/deemed medical college of India
Iam the effected parent in telangana state where private medical colleges r collecting 11.55 lakhs per annum for B category seat which is exorbitant compared to 6.5 lakhs in Karnataka and Kerala government fixed 5 lakhs.lt is high time now to fix reasonable fee all over country.
Fee regulation should be extended to all private medical colleges along with deemed universities.