UGC panel to fix fees for med courses of deemed varsities

Recording the submissions made in this regard on Tuesday, the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice PT Asha directed the committee to finalise the fee payable to such medical institutions run by deemed universities by October 31. UGC’s standing counsel PR Gopinathan made the submission when the plea moved by advocate VBR Menon came up for hearing. 

On June 16, 2017, the High Court had passed a similar order capping fee payable to colleges run by Puducherry deemed universities at Rs 10 lakh. 

The UGC informed the court that it has duly constituted a 11-member committee which would fix the fee payable for MBBS courses run by deemed universities after giving a fair chance to all stakeholders including students and their parents. 

The committee would be headed by former director of AIIMS, New Delhi, Deka. The other members would include, Dr OP Kaira, vice chancellor, Pt BD Sharma University of Health Science, Haryana, Saroj Chooramani Gopal, former vice chancellor, King George Medical University, UP, Mahesh Verma, director, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental sciences, New Delhi, Ajay S Chandanwale, dean, BJ Medical College, Pune, SK Ray, former additional secretary, union HRD Ministry, Sanjay Shrivastava, former professor of Ophthalmology, and Dr B Srinivas, ADG, union ministry of Family Welfare, joint secretary of UGC, and two more members to be nominated by the Medical Council of India. 

In April last, the Supreme Court had refused to interfere in the cap fixed by the High Court until the fee fixation committee is constituted and it finalises the actual fee payable. 

However, recently, a vacation bench of the apex court had allowed Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute to charge Rs 22 lakh as fee for MBBS courses until the committee finalises the actual fee. Following the suit, other such colleges have also approached the Supreme Court with similar pleas.