Last-minute revision of MBBS, BDS fee structure: Odisha HC seeks response from state

Cuttack: While considering a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the last-minute revision in the MBBS and BDS fee structure for the academic year 2025-2026, the Orissa High Court sought a response from the State Government.

Filed by Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha and represented by its president, Basudeb Bhatta, the PIL alleged that the move has affected meritorious students from economically weaker sections.

According to the petitioner, the fee has been increased by approximately 78% in private medical colleges without prior notice, transparency, or consultation with stakeholders. Reportedly, the fee has been increased from the range of Rs 5.5 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh to the range of Rs 8.5 lakh to Rs 11.5 lakh.

On Tuesday, a division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice M S Raman issued notices to the commissioner-secretary of the skill development and technical education (SDTE) department and the chairman of Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) cell.

The court has now listed the matter for further hearing on January 20, along with replies filed by the respondent authorities, including the State. Additional govt advocate Debashis Tripathy appeared for the state, and advocates Bibhuti Bhusan Choudhury and Samir Mishra appeared for the petitioner.

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According to the latest media report by The Times of India, the plea has sought the quashing of the notifications dated August 16, 2025. Issuing the concerned notifications, the State revised the fee structure for certain professional medical colleges. Further, the PIL also sought a declaration that the admissions should be governed by the original OJEE counselling guidelines issued on July 31, 2025.

The PIL pointed out that the National Medical Commission (NMC), through a public notice dated July 11, 2025, made it mandatory for the medical colleges to disclose approved fee structures at the time of entering seat matrix data, and it had also warned that any undisclosed or unapproved fees would be treated as unauthorised.

The PIL mentions that after appearing in the National Eligibility-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2025 examination, the students relied on the OJEE counselling guidelines issued on July 31, which clearly specified the fee structure. It said that these guidelines formed the basis for students' choice filling, seat locking and financial planning, often involving education loans.

However, the plea highlighted that just before the commencement of the counselling, the SDTE department issued a notification on August 16 and revised the fees for certain professional colleges. On the same day, the Chairman of OJEE issued a second amendment to the counselling process, followed by the publication of the counselling schedule on August 18.

It has been alleged by the petitioner that the move resulted in an arbitrary fee hike of around 78% in private medical colleges, without prior notice, transparency, or consultation with stakeholders- which violates statutory provisions, Supreme Court directions and the Odisha Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Fixation of Fee) Act, 2007.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about the fee hike for the the MBBS and PG medical courses in the private medical colleges across Odisha. MBBS fees at three private medical colleges, including Hi-Tech Medical College Bhubaneswar, DRIEMS Medical College Cuttack, and Hi-Tech Medical College Rourkela, have increased the MBBS fees by approximately 75 percent.