Fees for medical students at Deemed Universities: Madras HC sets 13 lakh cap (for now)

The Madras High Court Bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice PT Asha has passed an interim order capping the fees payable by undergraduate medical students to Deemed Universities in Tamil Nadu at Rs 13 lakh per annum..The order was passed last week while disposing of a PIL filed by Jawaharlal Shanmugam against the exorbitant fees charged for medical courses by Deemed Universities in the state..Appearing for the petitioner, Advocate M Velmurugan pointed out that several meritorious students were deprived of admission into medical universities owing to such exorbitant fees being charged..In light of the same, it was prayed that a tuition fee structure be fixed for undergraduate, postgraduate and Diploma seats, super speciality courses, as well as dental courses offered by the Deemed Universities. The Court was informed that the fees charged by such Deemed Universities ranged between Rs 25 lakh and 35 lakh..Appearing for some of the universities, Senior Advocate VT Gopalan submitted that the same would be reasonable, given the expenditure involved in running medical institutions..The Bench however differed, opining that such fees were prima facie too high and liable to be regulated..“…it appears to us that fees varying between Rs.25 lakhs and Rs.35 lakhs per annum is, prima facie, far too high and the Fee Committee constituted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) ought to make an in-depth study and recommend the fees to be charged by these institutions. Needless to mention that fees shall be regulated and streamlined taking into account all relevant factors.”.To this end, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has undertaken to constitute a Fee Fixation Committee by June 30. The Court has directed the Committee to submit its report within six months thereafter..“The UGC undertakes to constitute a Committee forthwith and in any case, within 30.06.2018. The Fee Committee shall submit its recommendation and/or report within six (6) weeks from date.”.As for the fee payable in the interim, the Court took note of the Rs 11.5 lakh annual fee paid by management quota MBBS students in private colleges not falling with the category of Deemed Universities..Considering the same, a limit of Rs 13 lakh was fixed as annual fee payable by medical students for admission to Deemed Universities..If the amount recommended by the UGC-constituted Fee Fixation Committee is found to vary with this figure, the fee may be adjusted accordingly thereafter. Accordingly, the Court has directed,.“Students shall be admitted to the deemed universities subject to payment of Rs.13 lakhs, on condition that after the Fee Committee determines the fees, if the fee is found to be higher than Rs.13 lakhs per annum, the concerned students will have to pay the balance. Needless to mention that if the fees determined is lower, the concerned students will be entitled to refund.”.Read Order: