Maharashtra: Deemed university hike fee to MBBS admissions

Pune: Deemed Universities in Maharashtra have raised their fee structures by Rs 1 or two lacs per year for MBBS program with many charging Rs 12 lac annually. Private medical Colleges are not far behind as they are merely waiting for an approval to come through from the State Fees Fixation Committee to hike their fee by 5% or ten percent.

Vivek Saoji, Dean,Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University reacting to the noise about fee hikes said that deemed universities hike is within the prescribed raise of the University Grants Commission.

"We have submitted all justifications for the increase in the fees and have received permission for the prescribed 15% hike," he said. They charge Rs 11.25 lakh per annum.

Ashwini Rural Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Solapur, which is monitored for fee hikes by the State Fees Fixation Committee will be resubmitting a fee raise proposal to the committee, as the one submitted earlier, has not been accepted due to wrong formatting. In 2015-16 the college charged Rs. 7,61,180 annually, the new proposal is for Rs. 8 Lac.

The hike in fee does not end with deemed universities and private medical colleges of Maharashtra, as it is slowly encompassing surrounding states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as well. In Tamil Nadu there is a 100% escalation with students paying 80 lac per annum.

Read Also : Tamil Nadu: NEET escalates private college fees to even Rs 20 lakhs per year

Commenting on the fee hike trend, General Secretary, GR Ravindranath told TOI, "This time, the admissions have been made compulsory through NEET. Ineligible students cannot be admitted through donations, so they have now resorted to a huge increase in fees. The central government should go beyond NEET. They should have a common admission portal and prescribe the fees for all private aided, private unaided and deemed medical universities to ensure that colleges do not increase fees randomly, harming the students. We have written to the Centre."

SMBT Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre in Nashik has raised its fee by Rs. 50,000, though the raise has yet to come into practice, Chiefly due to the absence of approval from the Shikshan Shulka Samiti. Principal, Vidya Paranjpe described the hike as natural and nothing out of proportion.

NS Arvikar, Dean, Dr Ulhas Patil Medical College & Hospital, Jalgaon said, "We have proposed a 5-10% increase in the fees structure for this academic year, over last year's. The percentage increase will probably be almost the same in all private medical colleges. The proposal has been sent to the fees fixation committee. We are awaiting their approval."