Madras HC: ‘Deemed universities can charge Rs 13 lakhs for medical seat’

Disposing a petition moved by social activist Jawaharlal Shanmugam, the first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice PT Asha on Friday said, “We are informed that the fee committee had earlier fixed Rs 11.5 lakh for management quota and the students may now be admitted subject to payment of Rs 13 lakh on condition that once the fee committee determines the fee and the fee is found to be higher than Rs 13 lakh per annum, students will have to pay the balance. Needless to mention that if the fee determined is lower, the students will be entitled for refund.”

Also, recording the undertaking given by the UGC to constitute a committee forthwith by June 30, 2018, the bench made it clear that since there is a dire need to regulate and streamline the fees considering all relevant factors, UGC ought to make an in-depth study after hearing all stake holders and recommend the fees to be collected by the institutions within six weeks.

The matter relates to a PIL seeking a direction from the court to fix the tuition fee for medical courses of under graduate, post graduate, diploma courses, super specialty courses and dental courses offered by the deemed universities Tamil Nadu for the academic year 2017- 2018 taking into consideration the complete financial statements, annual returns of the deemed university and its entities. Petitioner’s counsel M Velmurugan argued that the exorbitant tuition fees charged per annum goes against the very principle and objective of running charitable educational institutions and today medical education has become a big profitable business and an easy route to build a big empire.