Puducherry Private Medical College allegedly demands extra fee from students, bars them join MBBS Internship

Puducherry: Despite all the attempts of the authorities trying to put a stop to the practice of capitation fee, several medical students belonging to a Puducherry based private medical college were allegedly barred from attending their MBBS Internship classes because they had not paid an extra amount of money that the college management had demanded from them.

Those 35 students had been admitted to the government quota seats of the medical college in 2017-2018, through the Centralised Admission Committee of the Government. Although they had duly paid Rs 3.13 lakh fees per year (government bears Rs 2.15 lakh), the management demanded an additional fee of Rs 8.10 lakh (Rs 1.62 lakh per year), apart fro an "other fee" of Rs 50,000 charged by the college. Therefore, the students had been waiting outside the college, even though the internship started on July 25.

Already the parents of the medicos along with the president of Puducherry UT All CENTAC Students Parent Association, M Narayanassamy, have approached the Health Secretary on Thursday. They have requested the Government to intervene. They have been assured that the Government would initiate action including issuance of show cause notice to the medical college after the parents submit a written complaint.

Meanwhile, concerned over their chances of appearing in the Postgraduate medical entrance examination (NEET PG) next year, several students have paid the extra fees because it is necessary for them to join classes within July 31. They will be declared eligible to be appear in NEET PG next year if they can complete the internship within July 31, 2023.

Such a practice of forcing the students to pay an extra fee clearly goes against the Supreme Court's recent directions that had been issued in bar the private medical colleges from charging capitation fees.

Also Read: Supreme Court orders 7 point Formula to End Capitation Fee at Medical Colleges

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that in order to ensure that the private medical colleges fail to charge any capitation fee from the students, the top court bench had observed, "While fixing fee, the Fee Fixation Committees of the States should take into account all the components of fee, leaving no scope for managements to charge any additional amounts apart from what has been prescribed by the fee fixation committee from time to time. In the event that the management intends to charge additional amounts over and above the price band fixed by the Fee Fixation Committee, or for any component not included in the structure fixed by the Fee Fixation Committee, the same can only be done with the concurrence of the Fee Fixation Committee."

Besides, the Apex Court had also barred the medical institutes from accepting payment of fees in cash. The top court bench had also introduced a 7 point formula in this regard with the hope for upholding the merit for NEET admissions across the country. It had also directed the authorities to develop a web-portal maintained and regulated by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the aegis of the top Court itself wherein any information about the private medical colleges charging capitation fees can be furnished by the students.

Although the Supreme Court issued stringent directions in this regard, instances like this prove that the reality is somewhat different.

As per the latest media report by the New Indian Express, the president of Puducherry UT All CENTAC Students Parent Association recently informed the daily that the management of the Puducherry based private medical college recently communicated to them about the breakup of the additional fee verbally.

The daily adds that even though the parents had demanded a meeting for discussing the matter, the management did not agree and sought a clarification if they would pay the amount or not. Referring to this, a parent told the daily, "It is very difficult to pay such a high amount all of a sudden." As per the parents, the root of the problem is the factor that the Fee Fixation Committee of the UT Government fixed only the tuition fee for the private medical colleges and let the management decide on the "other" fees.

Expressing concern over the future of the students, a parent told the daily, "Since the commencement of the internship on July 25, the students have been waiting outside the college. The one-year internship is of importance as the students will be allowed to write the NEET-PG entrance only if they complete it by July 31, 2023. Thus, in case the internship does not start by this July 31 the students will lose one year."

While Puducherry based other two private medical colleges had collected the other fees on annual basis, this particular medical college started asking for the additional amount all of a sudden after the end of four years.

Also Read: MBBS fee has to be approved by Fee Fixation Committee: Supreme Court tells Varsity