MBBS fees for 5 years instead of 4.5: DY Patil Medical College Pune under NMC scanner

New Delhi: Taking cognisance of the complaints alleging that Pune-based D Y Patil Medical College Hospital and Research Centre is collecting MBBS fees for 5 years instead of 4.5 years, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has asked the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Maharashtra to investigate the matter and take proper action, if required.

DME Maharashtra has also been directed to clarify if any medical college in Maharashtra is charging full fees for the 5th year instead of charging only for 4.5 years, the duration of the MBBS course.

NMC took note of the issue after it received numerous complaints/grievances from students either via email or on Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System CPGRAM/PMOGP portal.

Writing to the Director of Medical Education, the Commission also clarified that these complaints received from the students shall be reviewed during the approval process for annual renewal of the concerned medical college for the Academic Year 2025-2026.

However, in the letter dated 01.05.2025, addressed to the DME, NMC also clarified that while it issues the required regulations or guidelines, the responsibility of implementing the same is of the concerned institute and the State authorities.

"Please refer to CPGRAM Grievance registration No. DHLTH/E /2025/ 0005735 dated 16/20-03.2025 relating to fees being charged for the fifth year by Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra. It is pertinent to state that as a regulatory authority, NMC issues the required regulation/guidelines. Implementation of these regulation/guidelines is the responsibility of the concerned Institute & the State Authorities," NMC mentioned in the communication.

Also Read: Fake Files, Stipends deductions, Poor Training - DY Patil Medical College Pune Under NMC Scanner

"It is also intimated that numerous grievances/complaints are being received on CPGRAM/PMOGP portal/emails from students & the same shall be reviewed during the approval process for annual renewal o f Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune for the AY 2025-26, as per relevant regulations," it further added.

Asking DME Maharashtra to conduct an inquiry into the matter and take required action, the Apex Medical Commission further mentioned in the letter, "Therefore, DME, Maharashtra is requested to enquire into this matter and also clarify, if any medical college in Maharashtra is charging fee full fees for the 5th year instead of 4.5 years. The matter is being forwarded for taking urgent necessary action. The action taken report be forwarded within 15 days of the issue of this letter."

Speaking to Medical Dialogues, Dr. Divyansh Dwivedi, who raised the complaint to NMC, informed that before issuing this circular, NMC had sent five notices to the DMER Maharashtra to send an Action Taken Report. However, no action was taken regarding those notifications.

He further added that finally, the circular has been issued, pertaining to the fifth year MBBS fees, adding that this is illegal as per a 2005 judgment of P.A Inamdar Vs the State of Maharashtra.

"When the students approached me last year, I took up the matter. I had complained many times at the UGC as it is a deemed university," Dr. Dwivedi said. Mentioning that in the past he had complained to the NMC regarding many other issues, he informed that in this case, 244 complaints were filed with the NMC, and more than 1000 emails were sent.

This is not the first time that DY Patil Medical College has come under the NMC radar. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that taking cognizance of several allegations concerning medical students, their training and the functioning of the institute, NMC had directed the Pune-based institute to look into the matter and furnish an action taken report within a week.

NMC wrote to the medical college in this regard after receiving a complaint alleging several deficiencies in the medical college including infrastructure and space constraints, irregularities and financial concerns, stipend deductions, issues with the district residency programme, deficiencies in medical training and patient care, and concerns regarding surgical training.

Accordingly, in a letter dated 04.03.2025, NMC asked the college to immediately look into the matter and furnish an Action Taken Report to the Postgraduate Medical Education Board of the Commission within 7 days.

However, consequently, the college released a statement highlighting that the NMC's assessors' team did not find any violations during inspections.

Also Read: 'Assessors Did not Identify Any Deficiencies!'- DY Patil Medical College Pune says after NMC Letter