Irregularities in minority medical colleges: Government finally flexes its muscles

2006
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, July 28: The State government has finally flexed its muscles to rein in unscrupulous minority medical colleges that have been collecting "tuition fee" as high as Rs 50 lakh from students under management quota.
The Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department on Thursday night issued orders (GO Ms No. 297) banning capitation fee in private unaided minority medical colleges and fixing a maximum fee of Rs 4.5 lakh per year per student under management quota.
Medical colleges violating the fee structure will face severe action including cancellation of affiliation. Following a report in this newspaper recently that minority medical colleges are collecting Rs 50 lakh as tuition fee from students seeking admissions under management quota, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy convened a meeting with Health Minister K Rosaiah and senior officials of the Health and the Minorities Welfare departments and set right the mess.
There will be two categories of seats in private unaided minority medical colleges for purpose of admission and fee. The management will have to fill up 70 per cent of the seats through Eamcet rank-holders on merit and the fee structure for such students will be Rs 30,000 per year. The remaining 30 per cent of the seats will be management quota seats and they will be filled up by the management on an annual fee of Rs 4.5 lakh.
The tuition fee for the failed students in all subjects in each phase of study during each academic year has been fixed at Rs 15,000 per annum. This amount shall, however, be proportionately reduced depending upon the actual number of subjects in which the student has failed.
The GO bans management of minority colleges from charging any capitation fee and profiteering. The orders were issued based on the recommendations of Justice RB Reddy Committee on fixation of fee for students admitted into unaided professional educational institutions.
"Except the above fee fixed by the Committee, no other amount, either directly or indirectly can be unauthorisedly charged by the management. If any such other amount is charged under any other head or guise (e.g. donation etc) it would amount to charging of capitation fee. The surplus (profit) that is generated from the collection of the fee must be for the benefit of the Institution, and cannot be diverted for other purpose or for personal gain," the GO noted.
The students admitted to the course in a particular academic year will continue to pay every year the same annual tuition fee as paid at the time of their admission, till they complete the course. The management should collect the fee only for one year in advance from students.
Earlier in the absence of proper guidelines, unscrupulous managements were charging tuition fee as high as Rs 1.60 lakh per year from meritorious students admitted through Eamcet. The fee ran up to Rs 50 lakh for students seeking admissions under management/NRI quota.
The AP Minorities Educational Rights Protection Committee has appealed to parents not to pay money in excess of the prescribed tuition fee. "Parents and students can lodge complaints with the minorities welfare department or approach court in case the managements charge more fee," APMERPC convener Muhammad Ansari said.