Jaipur News: All private medical colleges running in the state will have to ensure strict adherence to the rules of fee structure. The state government has issued an important order in this regard. Ambarish Kumar, Government Secretary, Medical Education Department, said that in the past, complaints had been received about arbitrarily charging fees by some private medical colleges. After this, the state government has issued this order with the aim of maintaining complete transparency in the rules of fee collection in the interest of the students. The order has been issued in compliance with the judgment given by the Supreme Court in the case Islamic Academy of Education vs. State of Karnataka, which laid emphasis on regulating fee determination and admission process in private educational institutions. According to the order, it is mandatory for all medical colleges to follow the fee structure determined by the state level fee determination committee.
Some colleges were making extra recovery by calling 15 percent seats as management seats.
Medical Education Secretary said that this order has been issued mainly on the basis of complaints of unauthorized collection of additional fees by private medical colleges. Especially on the website of UG Counseling Board, some private colleges are displaying additional fees by declaring 15 percent seats as management seats, which is not authorized by the Fee Regulatory Committee. This is in defiance of the Supreme Court decision, which prohibits making education a profitable business.
Situation revealed through complaints and inspections
In many cases, complaints were received from students about charging more than the prescribed fee. Complaints and inspections received by the state government revealed that some institutions are exploiting students by adopting the trend of commercialism, which is against constitutional values. With this order such irregularities can be stopped. According to the order, private medical colleges will have to follow the approved fee structure. All private medical colleges and dental colleges will have to collect fees from students as per the fee structure determined by the committee.
If excess fee is charged, it will have to be returned with interest, affiliation may be terminated.
The Medical Education Secretary said that if any institution charges any fee more than the approved fee, the affected students will be refunded the fee with 12 percent annual interest. Failure to comply with the rules may result in termination of the institution’s affiliation from RUHS and MMU, additional fees will be recovered from the college properties and affected students will be transferred to other medical colleges. Punitive action will also be taken against such institutions. This information will also be given to NMC and DCI. After termination of affiliation, the fees and financial burden of the students will be recovered from the concerned institution.
The order will bring transparency in fee collection, medical education will be better.
This order of the state government will effectively stop collection of unfair fees from students. Also, medical education will become more accessible and affordable. This will strengthen the merit based admission process and economically weaker students will benefit. Transparency in the education system will increase, commercialization will be stopped and the quality of education will improve. The level of medical education will improve and the number of qualified doctors contributing to health services will increase. Honest institutions will get equal opportunity to compete. The Medical Education Secretary has said that students and parents should check the official list of fees before admission and if any irregularity is found, they should immediately complain to the Medical Education Department or Fee Fixation Committee.
