No changes in MBBS, BDS fee for Gujarat institutes this year

Ahmedabad: In a major relief to the MBBS and BDS students in Gujarat, the Fee regulatory Committee has decided to keep the fees for the academic years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 unchanged from 2021-22.

Therefore, the students pursuing MBBS course in the Government quota seats will have to pay fees ranging from Rs 5.93 lakh to Rs 8.70 lakh. While the management quota students will be liable to pay fees ranging from Rs 14.82 to Rs 18.40 lakh.

In the case of BDS students, the fee for the Government quota seats ranges from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5.15 lakh and for the management quota seats from Rs 2 lakh to 11.64 lakh.

MBBS Fees: 

The fee for the government quota MBBS seats is as follows:

Rs 5.93 lakh for Smt. NHL Municipal Medical College, Rs 7.31 lakh for A.M.C.M.E.T. Medical College, Rs 7.65 lakh for SMIMER Surat, Banas Medical College and Research Institute, and Zydus Medical College and Hospital, Rs 8.70 lakh for Pramukh Swami Medical College, Rs 6.26 lakh for C.U Shah Medical College, Rs 6.65 lakh for Gujarat Adani Institute of Medical Sciences, Rs 8.60 lakh for GCS Medical College and Research Center, Rs 8.25 lakh for Parul Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Rs 7.85 lakh for Dr. N D Desai Faculty of Medical Sciences and Research, and Nootan Medical College and Research Centre, Rs 8.65 lakh for Dr. M.K Shah Medical College and Research Centre, and Rs 6.85 for Shantabaa Medical College.

The MBBS fee for the management quota seats is as follows:

Rs 18.25 lakh for Smt. NHL Municipal Medical College, Rs 18.40 lakh for A.M.C.M.E.T. Medical College, Rs 14.82 for SMIMER Surat, Rs 16.10 lakh for Pramukh Swami Medical College, Rs 15 lakh for C.U Shah Medical College, Dr. N D Desai Faculty of Medical Sciences and Research, Nootan Medical College and Research Centre and Shantabaa Medical College, Rs 17.90 lakh for Gujarat Adani Institute of Medical Sciences, Rs 15.40 lakh for GCS Medical College and Research Center, Rs 15.75 lakh for Parul Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Rs 16 lakh for Banas Medical College and Research Institute, Zydus Medical College and Hospital, and Dr. M.K Shah Medical College and Research Centre.

BDS Fees: 

The BDS fee for the Government quota seats are as follows:

Rs 4.5 lakh for Manubhai Patel Dental College, Rs 3.14 lakh for Ahmedabad Dental College, Rs 3.6 lakh for Karnavati School of Dentistry, Rs 4.5 lakh for Dharamsinh Desai Institute of Dental Sciences, Rs 3.15 lakh for Narsinhbhai Patel Dental College, Rs 5.15 lakh for AMC Dental College, Rs 3.09 lakh for College of Dental Sciences & Research, Rs 3.12 lakh for Goenka Research Institute of Dental Science and Rs 2 lakh for Siddhpur Dental College.

The fees for the BDS course in the management quota seats are as follows:

Rs 7.70 lakh for Manubhai Patel Dental College, Rs 7 lakh for Ahmedabad Dental College, Rs 7.35 lakh for Karnavati School of Dentistry, Rs 11.64 lakh for Dharamsinh Desai Institute of Dental Sciences, Rs 4.84 lakh for Narsinhbhai Patel Dental College, Rs 7.85 lakh for AMC Dental College, Rs 4.05 lakh for College of Dental Sciences & Research, Rs 5.50 lakh for Goenka Research Institute of Dental Science and Rs 2 lakh for Siddhpur Dental College.

Such a decision for keeping the fees unchanged has been taken by the Committee as it considered the pandemic situation that cause immense hardship to students/parents and traumatized the country's economy.

Referring to this, the Committee in its order dated July 25, 2022 mentioned, "While determining the fee structures of the institutions the committee has kept in view the hardship caused to students/parents due to circumstances that were prevailing in the recent past and to some extent currently also."

"It is a matter of common knowledge that COVID-19 pandemic has caused disastrous effect on the economy world wide and thrown it in to complete disarry causing enormous difficulties in day to day life of all the sections of the society. Our country is not spread of it and though the pandemic is on decline for the present, the adverse impact it has caused on the country's economy still continuous," it further mentioned.

"With the income dwindling, the parents of the students find it difficult to discharge their obligation to pay the tuition fees of their children. Even during year 2020-21 and subsequently, to avail online education for their children, the parents had to incur additional expenditure to create minimum facilities which included purchase of smart phone or in a given case even laptop and arrange for network connectivity through purchase of additional data plan," the committee further added.

Also Read: Karnataka Govt writes to NMC seeking clarity of Fee Regulatory Committee

Besides, the Committee also pointed out that during the pandemic period, the students were deprived of all kinds of facilities including laboratories, libraries etc. and noted, "As against that the students were deprived of all other facilities such as high tech classroom, well equipped laboratories, library with good collection of books and journals on various subjects, faculty consultation etc. As a result of all this students education has suffered to considerable extent. In other word during lock down and even for considerable period thereafter i.e. till first quarter of this year there was no imparting of education in physical presence of the students as the pandemic condition prevailing then in the country did not warrant reopening of the institutions. The education imparted to the students was by E-learning mode."

"This has resulted in to reduction in cost of electricity, laboratory materials, library and other like facilities as reflected from the data furnished by the institutions. Thus even after payment of full fees what the students received was only online education which is not adequate and equally efficacious alternative of class room learning. At the same time un-utilization of other facilities by the students has benefited the institutions monetarily to certain extent," it added.

Therefore, keeping the fee unchanged for the academic years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Committee stated, "The fee structure determined by this Committee shall be binding for the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. The fees so determined shall be applicable to only new students admitted in that specific academic year and shall not be revised till the completion of their professional course in that college or institution i.e. (1) the students admitted in the year 2021-22, the fees of 2021-22 are applicable to them up to the completion of their course (2) the students admitted in the year 2022-23, the fees of 2022-23 will be applicable to them up to the completion of their course (3) the students admitted in the year 2023-24, the fees of 2023-24 will be applicable to them to the completion of their course."

While commenting on the matter a member of the committee told TOI, "There were many representations on not raising fees for medical and dental students because of the pandemic situation. The committee understood these demands and has decided not to raise the fees for a three year period till 2023-24."

He also mentioned that the Committee will decide whether or not to raise the fees after 2023-2024 after observing the situation.

To view the FRC order, click on the link below.

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/gujarat-frc-182077.pdf

Also Read: MBBS Fees at Gujarat Private Medical Colleges range from 6L to 18L