Cong demands Gujarat reverses fee hike in 13 GMERS colleges, threatens agitation

Gujarat govt’s decision flies in the face of the decision to establish GMERS 14 years ago to provide affordable medical education, Gohil said

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Congress (GPCC) on Monday criticised the state government for the hike in the fees for undergraduate medical courses offered by colleges run by the state-funded Gujarat Medical Education Research Society (GMERS).

(X/Shaktisinhgohil)

Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil said the massive fee hike flies in the face of the government’s decision to establish GMERS 14 years ago to provide affordable medical education

GMERS raised the annual fee for undergraduate medical courses offered by its 13 medical colleges by 66% from ₹3.3 lakh to ₹5.5 lakh per annum for state and all-India quota seats, by 87% from ₹9.07 lakh to ₹17 lakh for management quota seats and by 13% from $22,000 to $25,000 for NRI seats.

Gohil said the steep hike contradicts the very purpose for which GMERS was founded and would make medical education inaccessible to the weaker sections of society.

“If this fee hike is not rolled back, we will protest at every level, be it taking to the streets or raising the issue in the Parliament,” Gohil, a Rajya Sabha member, said.

GMERS announced a similar fee hike in 2023 ahead of admissions for medical colleges. The government was, however, forced to roll back the increase following protests.

Gujarat’s 13 GMERS medical colleges have 2,100 medical seats. Of these, 75% of seats are reserved for the state quota, 10% for the management quota and the remaining 15% for the NRI quota. Thus, across GMERS medical colleges, there are 1,500 state quota seats, 75 all India quota seats, 210 management quota seats and 315 NRI quota seats. Vacant NRI quota seats are converted to management quota seats.

For five GMERS colleges — Rajpipla, Navsari, Porbandar, Godhra and Morbi — which have 75 seats each, 60% of funds come from the Centre and 40% from the state govt. All the other GMERS colleges are fully funded by the state govt.

Earlier this month, the Gujarat chapter of Indian Medical Association wrote asked chief minister Bhupendra Patel to withdraw the fee hike, which it said, would bring GMERS fees on par with private medical colleges.