Medical Colleges Demand Fifth-Year Fees Despite NMC, Government Orders

Kerala medical students are facing uncertainty over MBBS fee collection during the compulsory internship period, amid an ongoing dispute between the government and private medical colleges. The state government had issued an order on July 17 stating that self-financing medical colleges could collect tuition fees only for the four-and-a-half-year MBBS course, in line with an earlier NMC directive that fees should not be charged during the one-year internship. However, the Kerala High Court subsequently stayed the government order, and the state has not yet filed an appeal against the stay. Following this, some private medical colleges have reportedly started demanding annual fees from students during the fifth-year internship.

The Kerala Private Medical College Management Association and some institutions have challenged the government’s fee order, arguing that the Fee Regulatory Committee should determine the fee structure for the five-year period. Student and parent organisations, meanwhile, allege that some colleges are using the court stay to continue collecting internship-year fees, despite the NMC directive. They have also pointed out that government medical colleges charge fees only for the four-and-a-half-year academic course, while states including Telangana and Tamil Nadu have reportedly issued similar directions. The government has said it will clarify its position and issue notices to colleges after the court delivers its final verdict, according to a Mathrubhumi report.