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

Bengaluru: Rs. 6.8 lakh is the maximum annual fee that has been fixed for Ist year Indian students of a private medical college doing an undergraduate MBBS course in Karnataka. Dental Courses in Karnataka are to cost Rs. 4.6 lakh per annum. A maximum of an 8 % fee increase over that of the previous year has 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.

TOI reports that the committee for the Ist time has capped the maximum fee for Indian students. It has, on the other hand, decided to charge NRI students 10 times the sum fixed for their Indian counterparts.

Constituted under Section 6 of the Karnataka Professional and Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act 2006, the Committee is headed by Justice DV Shylendra Kumar adds

The general category includes pan-India students under the general merit category as well as from SC, ST and OBC (all minorities) quotas.

The Fee Regulatory Committee that has allowed an 8% hike to Karnataka private medical colleges over the previous year’s fee has warned colleges against charging more than the sanctioned 8% hike in fee.

Committee, Chairman, Justice DV Shylendra Kumar stated that NRI seats through default are converted into management quota seats.

“During the inspection, if we find any college charging more than the stipulated fee, we’ll take action. The government may levy a fine up to Rs 10 lakh or double the excess amount collected, whichever is higher,” he added.

In accordance with the fee committee decision, an NRI student will have to pay 10 times the fee an Indian student pays.

The committee for the Ist time has also fixed super-specialty PG medical and dental course’s maximum fee sums.

The annual fee for a super-specialty course in medical colleges for Indian students has been fixed at Rs 14,25,600, and for dental courses, the sum is Rs 7,60,320.

ComedK Executive Secretary, S Kumar told TOI, “The KME judgment in 2004 reiterated that it’s a sin if one student has to pay for another’s education. Year on year, the fee has been fixed such that it subsidizes government students. All private colleges have to follow this. If a uniform fee is applicable for all categories of students, I don’t see why private colleges should be upset. For some colleges, it may be difficult to improve infrastructure and facilities for students. Although the NRI student fee will be 10 times the fee for Indian students, hardly any NRI student studies in our colleges. All these seats are eventually converted to management quota seats.”

Following is the Maximum fee for Indian students and their NRI counterparts:

Maximum fee in Rs