PG medical fee hike Dispute: HC orders Private Medical Colleges to refrain from demanding balance fee

Hyderabad: In a recent order, the Telangana High Court issued directions to private medical colleges and authorities not to insist on the appellants clearing their tuition fees to continue attending classes.

The High Court bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Renuka Yara issued these directions while hearing a batch of pleas challenging an order dated December 27, 2024, through which the pleas against exorbitant fee hikes for postgraduate medical and dental courses in Telangana for the 2023-2026 block period had been dismissed.

Due to the fee revision under these GOs, the tuition fees increased from Rs 5.8 lakh to Rs 24 lakh per year for management quota seats and from Rs 3.2 lakh to Rs 7.75 lakh per year for convener quota seats.

Also Read: Provide Relief from Fee Hike in Private Institutes: Telangana PG Medical, Dental Students Urge Govt

Medical Dialogues has been reporting about the huge fee hike at the private medical and dental colleges. By issuing G.O. No. 107 dated July 28, 2023, the State had fixed the fees for altogether 19 medical colleges, where the fees for the Category-A clinical seats ranged between Rs 7,00,000 to Rs 7,75,000. The fees for the Category-B seats ranged between Rs 23 lakh to Rs 24 lakhs. In the case of the 11 private dental institutes, the fees for the Category-A seats ranged between Rs 5,15,000 and Rs 6,00,000, and in respect of the seats under Category-B, the fees ranged between Rs 8,00,000 and Rs 13,62,000.

However, this was challenged before the Telangana High Court by altogether 222 PG medical and dental students. Back in 2023, the HC bench had partially stayed the decision to increase the fees at private medical and dental colleges in the State and asked the institutes to collect only 60 per cent of the fees specified in the Government Order No. 107 from the Category-A candidates and 70 percent from the Category- B candidates.

Referring to this, the counsel for the present petitioners, Senior advocate S Ravi and advocate Sama Sandeep Reddy pointed out to the Court that in the previous block period i.e. 2020-2023, the High Court had allowed colleges to collect only 50% to 60% of the notified fees during the pendency of the litigation. An interim direction was issued allowing the collection of only 60-70% of the fees.

However, as per the latest media report by The New Indian Express, the colleges were now demanding the balance fee from the students and barring them from attending classes.

Taking note of the arguments, the HC bench directed the colleges to refrain from insisting on the balance fee and to permit students to attend classes. The matter was listed for further hearing by the HC in 10 days.

Recently, expressing their frustration with the exorbitant fee structure at the private medical and dental institutes across Telangana, the MBBS and dental graduates pursuing medical specialty and PG dental courses urged the State Government to intervene. They urged the State Government's intervention to address the fee hike affected by private fee increase affected by private healthcare institutes on specialty medical and dental courses.

Also Read: Reduce Fees! Telangana PG medical, dental Aspirants Urge Govt