NSUI Members Arrested During Protest Against Fee Hike at Gotri Medical College
Vadodara: In a heated demonstration, around 10 members of the National Student Union of India (NSUI) were arrested at Gotri Medical College in Vadodara for protesting against the substantial increase in MBBS fees at GMERS colleges across Gujarat.
The protest intensified when demonstrators hurled fake currency notes at the dean of Gotri Medical College while chanting slogans like "BJP Hai Hai." Consequently, the police detained over ten NSUI members involved in the protest.
The NSUI protest focused on the state government's decision to hike fees at GMERS Medical Colleges, which were established in 2010 with an investment of approximately Rs 8,500 crore to provide affordable medical education to Gujarat students.
According to NSUI, the fee hike contradicts this original mission. Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that GMERS had increased the MBBS annual fees across all its colleges in the State by up to 87 percent on June 28. The fees for the State and all-India quota seats were increased from 3.3 lakh per annum to Rs 5.5 lakh per annum- around 66 percent.
For the management quota seats, fees were increased by 87%. While previously, the students had to pay around Rs 9.075 lakh for these management quota seats, now the fees have been increased to Rs 17 lakh.
The course fee for the NRI quota MBBS seats has also been increased. From $ 22,000 per annum to $25,000 per annum- the course fee for the NRI quota seats has increased by 13%.
Also Read: Whooping Upto 87 percent MBBS fee hike in GMERS Medical Colleges
NSUI representatives argued that these hikes are excessive, pointing out that MBBS programs in neighboring states are still more affordable. They also highlighted that the annual operating cost of the 13 GMERS medical colleges and their affiliated hospitals was around Rs 1,168 crore last year, while the fee income was Rs 423.74 crore. The state government claims that the fee hike is necessary to address this financial shortfall, reports FPJ.
Despite the fiscal argument, NSUI maintains that the fee increase is unjust, especially given that the number of seats has been reduced and students can secure seats at lower costs in neighboring Maharashtra. In their representation to the dean, NSUI underscored the importance of affordable education and urged the government to reconsider the fee hike.
Also Read: Gujarat Govt assures 40 percent stipend hike for Junior Resident Doctors
According to Free Press Journal, NSUI president Amar Vaghela stated, "Today we protested at Gotri Medical College against the fee hike in GMERS colleges and demanded a reduction in fees. This government is anti-student. If the fee is not reduced, we will escalate our agitation."
Mayur Adalja, the dean of Gotri Medical College, expressed disapproval of the NSUI's protest methods but assured that the government would consider their representation. He stated, "I did not find the way NSUI workers presented their case appropriate. The representation of workers and conveyance to the government will be considered, and the government will make a decision in this matter."
Recently, opposing the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society's (GMERS) announcement of up to 87 per cent fee hike at its medical colleges, the doctors have written to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel demanding a rollback.
Writing to the Chief Minister, the State Chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) referred to the discontent among the students and their parents because of the fee increase and requested the Government to retract the fee increase in the interest of the less-affluent sections.
