No increase in MBBS, BDS fees in Karnataka

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about the possibility of a hike in the fees for MBBS and BDS courses in the medical colleges of Karnataka. According to the reports, speculations were there that the fees would be increased by 15% in the Government seats and 25% in the private seats.

Citing huge loss during the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason, the private medical colleges in Karnataka were considering increasing their fees by at least twenty percent.

Apart from financial loss due to COVID, the colleges had also pointed towards the establishment of oxygen plants, stoppage of non-COVID treatment during the peak of the pandemic as the reasons for increasing the fees.

In order to arrive at a decision regarding the fee hike, a meeting was scheduled between Medical Education minister and the private medical college representatives on October 21, 2021. However, it had to be cancelled as the minister was busy with prior commitments.

It was 2019 when the UG medical fees in the State medical colleges were increased for the last time. Now, the students need to pay Rs 1.4 lakh per year for the Government quota seats in private medical colleges and Rs 59,850 in a government college.

However, after the fee revision back in 2019, the pandemic struck the country and the colleges were almost shut for non-COVID admissions, which ultimately resulted in the loss of income for the medical colleges and made it allegedly hard for the management to run the colleges.

Also Read: Karnataka Private Medical Colleges seek 20 percent MBBS fee hike, Govt to take decision