Medical colleges can’t charge 5x fees for institutional quota: Regulator

Maharashtra's FRA restricts private medical colleges from charging institutional quota fees above three times the regular amount amid parent complaints.

Mumbai: After receiving complaints from parents, Maharashtra’s Fee Regulatory Authority (FRA) has said no medical college can charge students admitted under the institutional quota in private medical colleges fees that are five times higher than the amount approved for general admission. A notice issued by FRA on Thursday stated that if colleges fail to implement this, they will face appropriate action.

The Maharashtra government recently requested the FRA to allow private medical colleges to charge students applying for ayurvedic, homoeopathic, and Unani courses through the institutional quota fees up to five times higher than the regular fees. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The Maharashtra government recently requested the FRA to allow private medical colleges to charge students applying for ayurvedic, homoeopathic, and Unani courses through the institutional quota fees up to five times higher than the regular fees. The FRA has not accepted the government’s request. However, some colleges took advantage of the government resolution (GR) and hiked their fees. As a result, the fees at some colleges have exceeded ₹35 lakh- ₹40 lakh per year, leading to parents and activists raising concerns.

In a recent notice, the FRA also clarified that private medical colleges must charge fees as per the notice dated November 10, 2023. As per the circular, the upper limit is three times the regular fees for institutional and management quotas for all courses, including MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BPTH, and BUMS. For post-graduate courses, the upper limit is four times the regular fees.

Following the GR, many colleges demanded five times the regular fees from parents. An official working in the state government had admitted that the decision wasn’t taken in an appropriate manner, adding that the government must consider the views of parents before finalising a hike in fees, but instead took a one-sided decision in favour of the management.

Dharmendra Mishra, a member of the FRA, said the authority follows a specific formula for setting the fee structure for each college. “We received several complaints on our email regarding colleges demanding five times higher fees for the institutional quota admissions. Considering these complaints, we issued a fresh notice to remind colleges about the upper limit. We also appeal to parents that even after this notice, if any college demands five times more money, they can file a complaint with FRA.”