Doctors Oppose Govt Decision to Implement Self-Financing, NRI Quota in AP GMCs

Vijayawada: The recent decision of the State Government of Andhra Pradesh to implement Self-financing and NRI quota seats in government medical colleges, has been strongly opposed by the medical fraternity.

Demanding a rollback, the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors' Association (AP JUDA) has already written to the Principal Secretary of the State Health Department.

The concerned G.O.Ms.No.107 was published in the Official Gazette by the State Health Department on July 19, 2023. Issuing the Government Order, the State amended the Andhra Pradesh Government Professional Institutions (Regulation of Admissions into Undergraduate Medical and Dental Professional Courses) Rules, 2004.

According to the amended rules, in case of the Government Medical Colleges permitted from the academic year 2023-2024 onwards, 15% of the total medical seats will be allocated to the All India Quota and and the remaining 85% seats shall be allocated under three categories- General Category, Self-financing category, and NRI category.

The G.O stated that 50% of the seats shall be Competent Authority (General Category) quota seats and the same shall be filled with local candidates of two local areas of Andhra Pradesh. 35% of the seats shall be Competent Authority (Self-financing) category and the same shall be filled with local candidates of two local areas of Andhra Pradesh. 15% of the seats shall be Competent Authority (NRI category). The rule of reservation shall be applicable to the General Category seats only, stated the order.

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Further, the State issued G.O Ms No. 108 and clarified the fee structure for the MBBS course in the Government Medical Colleges permitted in the State from this academic year i.e. 2023-2024 onwards. According to the Government Order, the MBBS students taking admission in these newly constituted GMCs will have to pay Rs 15,000 per annum if they secure a seat in the General Category. They be liable to pay Rs 12 lakh per annum for Self-financing category seats and Rs 20 lakhs for NRI category seats.

Opposing the Government decision, APJUDA recently wrote to the State Health Department and mentioned, "We the members of APJUDA on behalf of all the medical students in our state strongly object the decision by the government to categorize the seats in the Government medical colleges newly permitted from the academic year 2023-24 into selffinancing and NRI quota. This categorization results in undue reduction of total number of available seats for the eligible students who irrespective of their financial status can join in our elite Government medical colleges."

"All the people in the state of AP were delighted with the decision of establishing new medical colleges around the state but this decision to lay the burden of developing existing Government medical colleges on the parents will demoralize the intention of our honorable chief minister to make medical education accessible to all the people of state including all the backward classes. This is evident by the decision taken previously by our honorable chief minister sir to decrease the fee of medical education in private colleges which made the dreams of many students to become doctors in our state," the association further mentioned in the letter dated July 20, 2023.

Demanding a rollback of the recent Government order categorizing GMC seats in self-financing and NRI category, the association added, "We would also like to remind that no state in the country have these categorization and massive fee of 12-20 Lakhs per annum as a Government medical college. So, we urge the government to take back the GO MS No 107 and help the young generation of Andhra Pradesh to have an opportunity to aspire to become a good doctor and be useful for the entire nation. If not withdrawn, we are forced to go for strike as a last resort."

Meanwhile, the medical wing of Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party has refuted the allegations that the State Government is illegally selling medical seats in government medical colleges, adds Deccan Chronicle.

Commenting on this, Dr. Mehboob Sheikh, Krishna, NTR and Guntur districts’ zonal in-charge of YSRC medical wing (YSRCMW) told the Daily, "In fact, after assuming charge, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has gone on to decrease the medical fees charged by government medical colleges."

He further explained that the fee has been fixed at 12 lakh for self-finance seats and 20 lakh for the NRI quota seats in the five newly opened medical colleges in the State.

Referring to the fact that after taking over the Government, YSRC has decided to open 17 new medical colleges at a total expenditure of 12,300 crores, he mentioned that five of those colleges are commencing from this academic year and 50 percent of these seats will be general category, 35 percent will be self-financed seats and 15 percent will be NRI category seats.

YSRCMW zonal chief further mentioned that the fees of self-financing and NRI category seats in medical colleges are being deposited in the account of AP Medical Education and Research Corporation and the money will be used for development and maintenance of government medical colleges in the state.

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