Education, Careers & Professional News
Exorbitant Fee In Medical SFIs: Parents Protest
To deter self-financed medical and dental colleges from charging exorbitant fees, the Parents` Association for Medical and Dental Students has urged the state government to frame a uniform policy regarding admission rules and fee structure.
The Association will approach the Supreme Court in case no action is taken soon.
Addressing media persons here on Sunday, Association president MD Rana said: There is no uniform fee structure for self-financed medical and dental colleges in the state. Some of them charge compulsory extra amount under miscellaneous heads like hostel fee, library fee, development fee and laptop deposit.
We want the state government to frame an education policy like the one in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, clearly specifying admission rules and fee structure for medical and dental colleges so that exploitation of students and parents can be stopped, he added.
Seats available in self-financed colleges, under the existing system, are divided into the government and management quota in ratio as decided from time to time.
Admissions under the government quota are finalised by the joint admission committee for professional courses (JAC-PC) on the basis of marks obtained in class 12.
Admissions under the management quota are given on the basis of merit list prepared after a common entrance test conducted by the self-financed colleges association.
The state government resolution number MCG/1976/JF 15-5-04 decided that fees for students under the government quota will be equal to that in the government colleges and fees under the management quota will be fixed by the RJ Shah Committee.
It was categorically stated that no fees under any head can be collected from students, said Association vice-president Arvind Vikani.
However, against annual fees of Rs 6,000 and Rs 4,000 in government medical and dental colleges respectively, self-financed colleges charge between Rs 1,30,000 and Rs 1,45,000, as directed by the Shah Committee, for both government and management quota.
Moreover, some colleges like Karnavati Dental College, Ahmedabad, BK Shah Medical College, Waghodia, KM Shah Dental College, Waghodia and Mahadevia Dental College, Ahmedabad charge extra fee of nearly Rs 1 lakh, added Vikrani.
Despite several representations, no action has been taken by the state government, admission committee and Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor AU Patel due to which education centres in the state have turned into just profit earning centres, said Gujarat Pradesh Yuvak Congress general secretary Manish Doshi.