MS Orthopaedics Fee: Maha FRA tells college to refund excess fee of Rs 1 lakh to doctors

Mumbai: The Fee Regulating Authority (FRA), Maharastra has directed the Sancheti Institute for Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation; a PG medical institution based in Pune; to refund the excess fees taken from MS Orthopaedics students for this academic year.

The fee regulator passed the order during a recent meeting where the matter on fee fixation of the MS Orthopaedics course at the institute was considered and the FRA subsequently held that the fee amount that the medical college collected above Rs 9,92,000/- from the students admitted this year shall immediately be refunded to them.

The fee for MS Orthopaedics at the institute was approved by fee regulator for the academic year 2018-19 which was Rs. 10,92,000/-. The Institute did not submit fees proposal for 2019-20 while opting to continue with previous academic year fees.

In the meanwhile, the FRA was approached with a matter pertaining to the Physiotherapy course which is also being offered by the institute. However, while hearing review application relating to PG Physiotherapy, it was noticed that the medical college made extra collection from management quota students admitted to MS Orthopaedics, in the academic year 2018-19.

Noting the whole case, the FRA felt,

“… it was felt necessary to verify the balance sheet of the Institute. Prima-facie, although provision in the Act allows the Institute to retain previous academic year fee’s by not submitting fees proposal in the given academic year. The extra collection has necessitated revisit to the fee structure.”

While this issue was being examined, on 27/6/2019, the institute offered to lower fees by Rs. 1,00,000/- per student that means the fee for MS Orthopaedics for this academic session will be Rs. 9,92,000/- instead of Rs. 10,92,000/-.

The step voluntarily proposed to be taken by the institute to reduce fees by Rs. 1,00,000/- was appreciated by the FRA.

However, the FRA firmly held that whatever the extra collection is made in A.Y. 2018-19 shall be reflected in the balance sheet which should be required to be submitted along with the fees proposal for A.Y. 2020- 2021. Thus, the exact impact of the extra collection will be reflected in the fee structure for A.Y. 2020-21.

Ultimately, the FRA directed,

Amount of fees collected more than Rs. 9,92,000/- from the students admitted in A.Y. 2019-20 shall immediately be refunded to them and compliance be reported along with the list of the names of the students, their email id and telephone numbers.”

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