Medical colleges cannot increase fee more than 5 fold: Maha DMER

Mumbai: The stategovernment has taken a decision to have private and deemed universities declare their fee structures for UG/PG admissions to the state government, in order to ensure that none hike their fee structures higher than five times that fixed for the merit quota admissions. This decision has been taken to keep at bay apprehensions expressed by aspirants that private and deemed colleges may hike their fee beyond affordability. Institutes have in the past days been proposing fee hikes over five times that of merit quota for their management & NRI seats.

Making the above announcement on Friday, Dr Pravin Shingare, Director, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) said, "Private and deemed colleges would be a part of the state's Common Entrance Process (CAP) and would thus be expected to declare their fee structures to the state which would then be uploaded on the DMER's official website."

The fee structure fixed by the state government in the case of merit quota ranges between Rs 4.50-9.50 lakh. The private colleges decision to increase the Management and NRI quota fee,five times that of Merit quota figures, has yet to gain the Fee Regulatory Committee Approval.

"Colleges should ideally not charge more than 5 times these fees for their NRI and management quota seats as per the recent Supreme Court order," said Shingare.

Pune’s Kashibai Navale Medical College made waves recently by announcing an exorbitant hike from Rs. 9 Lakh to 95 Lakh for its Institutional/Management quota seats and Rs 80 lakh for the NRI quota admissions. Dr. Shingare revealed that the college had been heeded by the state to not raise the amount higher than the five times that of the merit quota figure.

"The fee regulation authority is yet to take a call on the proposed hike. The college cannot charge anything more than what is approved," said Shingare.

To curb unwarranted amounts as fee, the FRA has decided to be exacting towards erring colleges.

"A fine will be imposed as prescribed by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences(MUHS) and can even lead to the cancellation of their affiliation." the Director told the DNA.