Karnataka: Private Medical College to go to court with 30% fee hike demand

Bengaluru: Private Medical College Managements in the state of Karnataka have decided to take the state authorities to court over the issue of fee hike fixation for undergraduate courses in the state. This is being done in the absence of being able to reach a truce over the issue by both sides.

With the state authorities unwilling to cross the 8% hike and the private medical college managements adamant on a 30% raise, a recourse to court seems to be the only solution, stated private medical college authorities. Management representatives of private medical and dental colleges say the decision to redress court was taken, last week, after an inclusive meeting with Medical Education Minister, D K Shivakumar failed. The minister rejected the demand of a hike of more than 8%.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that Rs. 6.8 lakh was the maximum annual fee that had been fixed for Ist year Indian students of a private medical college doing an undergraduate MBBS course in Karnataka. Dental Courses in Karnataka were to cost Rs. 4.6 lakh per annum. A maximum of an 8 % fee increase over that of the previous year had been allowed to the Fee Regulatory Committee. Last year, the maximum fee fixed was Rs. 6.3 lakh, though private colleges had sought a 30% hike.

Read also:Karnataka: Rs 6.8 lakh per year MBBS fee fixed for private medical colleges

M R Jayaram, Chairman, Karnataka Professional Colleges Foundation, reacting to the minister’s decision said that no more state government meetings would be attended by them on fee structure and seat sharing.

“The minister was not even ready to hear our demands. He straight away rejected our proposal and said he can’t give more than 8 per cent, and that we can do whatever we want to. So we have decided to fight it out legally,” he revealed to the TNIE.

The Medical Education Department sources said, the minister refused to go beyond 8%, as recommended by the Fee Regulatory Committee headed by retired Justice, D V Shylendra Kumar. The college's demand for a 30 per cent fee hike, was rejected by the minister, without taking it up with the higher authorities.

“It is difficult to run colleges without increasing the fees. Let us sort it out legally as we cannot accept fee hike lesser than 8 per cent,” Jayaram said.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the Medical Education Ministers have decided to place the matter before the co-ordination committee.