Make Deposits for Fee Arrears to Get Original Certificates from Medical College: SC tells SGRR MBBS students

New Delhi: Issuing an interim order, the Supreme Court on September 9 directed the medical students belonging to Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical and Health Sciences College to deposit Rs 7.5 lacs towards pending fee arrears to get their original documents retained by the institute. 

Filing the plea, the students challenged the institute's decision of withholding their original documents over non-payment of fees arrears. Although the Apex Court bench directed the college to release the documents, it set a condition asking the students to deposit Rs 7.5 lacs along with an undertaking assuring to pay the remaining balance amount.

The Apex Court bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra ordered on Monday, "Since the petitions are admitted in the High Court, in the meantime, it is common ground that the petitioners have paid an amount of Rs. 34 lacs (All India Quota) Rs.__ Lacs (State Quota) ....at this stage, bearing in mind the above amount paid, we are of the view that an interim order be passed so as to enable the students to obtain their testimonials to pursue their post graduate studies and practice medicine."

"We accordingly issue the following directions- conditions upon the petitioners (1) depositing Rs 7.5 lacs each with the 2/3rd respondents over and above the amounts which are already deposited; (2) petitioners shall be entitled to a return of their testimonials submitted at the time of obtaining admission, subject to the condition that petitioners shall file an undertaking in to pay the balance, in the event that that they are called upon to do so in conclusion of the final disposal of the pending writ petition," it further ordered.

Also Read: Fee Hike from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 13 lakh, Internships on Hold: SGRR MBBS Students on Protest

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that SGRR medical college authorities had increased the MBBS fees from Rs 5 lakhs per annum to Rs 13 lakhs per annum, which was around a 150 percent fee hike. While the State quota students had been asked to submit Rs 26 lakhs, the management quota students were told to pay Rs 37 lakh fees. The college management also had put the internships of the final year students on hold clarifying that the internship will commence only when the students will clear the due.

As per the latest media report by Live Law, the petitioners had challenged the increase of MBBS fees by the medical college by Rs 5 lac per student to Rs 13.22 lacs for the All India Quota, from Rs 4 lacs to Rs 9.78 lacs for the State quota seats per annum. The institute applied the decision retrospectively in April 2018, thereby making it applicable to the 2018 batch of students.

Although, the students challenged the decision before the Uttarkhand High Court, last year on February 28, the HC bench directed the payment of an entire amount of Rs 36.99 lacs in arrears for the All India Quota and Rs 26.01 lacs for State quota students in 9 installments. Releasing a notice, the college had mentioned that the internship of these students would not start without payment.

Challenging this decision, the students approached the Apex Court bench, which on April 28 directed that the internship should be continued subject to the deposit of the fees in two installments. Further, the HC bench was directed to dispose of the pending plea expeditiously- "preferably within three months from today."

The HC bench on August 6 observed that the original documents of the students could only be released if the petitioners paid the deposit sum mentioned in the February 28 order. The matter was listed for further hearing in March 2025.

Thereafter, altogether 91 students who finished their education and completed their mandatory internship challenged the Uttarakhand High Court's decision dated August 6 through which the students were asked to pay the arrears of around Rs 30 Lac to get their original documents.

Filing the plea before the Apex Court, the counsel for the petitioner students Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal and Advocate Tanvi Dubey contended that without getting the original documents from the college, they would be unable to apply to the NEET-PG counselling or commence their careers in hospitals.

On the other hand, the counsel appearing for the college, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayan argued that often in such scenarios it becomes difficult for the colleges to keep track of the pending dues from the students after the documents are released. The withholding of the documents acts as a surety that the remaining deposit sum would get paid.

Also Read: No Relief for SGRR Medicos: Uttarakhand HC upholds MBBS Fee Order, directs students to pay hiked fee