Karnataka Govt writes to NMC seeking clarity of Fee Regulatory Committee

Bengaluru: The Medical Education Department of Karnataka has recently written to the National Medical Commission (NMC) seeking clarity regarding the Fee Regulatory Committee, required for fixing the fees at the Private Medical Institutes in the State.

Since already Karnataka has such a Committee, the State has sought to know if the same committee could operate. Further, the State has sought clarification if a Fee Regulatory Authority is required as per the NMC rules, or the existing Committee would do.

However, the committee is yet to be formed and it takes at least three months for the fee regulation process to be completed. Therefore, it is very much unlikely that Karnataka will be able to comply with the NMC rules for fixing fees for the undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses from this academic year.

Earlier this year, the Apex medical body had issued guidelines for the determination of fees and all other charges in respect of 50 percent of the MBBS and PG medical seats in private medical institutions and deemed to be universities, governed under the NMC Act, 2019.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that listing down the operating costs at medical colleges and keeping in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and consequent halt on the medical education sector, the NMC had asked the respective State Fee Regulatory Authorities to consider the average audited financial result of the previous three years, with appropriate inflation adjustment.

Also Read: NMC spells out criteria for fixing MBBS, PG medical fees at private medical college and deemed universities, Details

The Apex Medical Regulator had released a comprehensive set of principles for the fee regulatory authorities to follow and subsequently private medical institutes. Further, the guidelines had directed the institutions to not charge capitation fees at all costs while following the 'not for profit' agenda for the impartation of medical education.

Apart from this, NMC had also clarified that the fee of the 50 per cent seats in the private medical colleges and deemed universities would be at par with the fee in the government medical colleges of that particular State and UT. The benefit of this fee structure would be first made available to those candidates who have availed government quota seats, but are limited to the extent of 50 per cent of the total sanctioned strength of the respective medical college/deemed university, the Commission had mentioned.