No hike for medical, dental courses: Karnataka govt

Bengaluru, May 17 Karnataka government has declared that there will be no increase in fee structure for medical and dental courses in the upcoming academic year, despite pressure from private medical colleges.

After holding a meeting with office bearers of private medical and dental college managements, Minister for Medical Education, Skill Development, Livelihood and the district in-charge minister for Raichur, Sharan Prakash Patil, clarified on Saturday.

Private colleges had appealed for a 10 per cent to 15 per cent hike in fees. However, the minister stated that although the government had allowed a 10 per cent increase last year, no fee hike will be permitted this year.

Responding promptly to the matter raised during the meeting, Minister Patil reiterated that last year’s 10 per cent hike was sufficient and emphasised that there will be no fee hike this year. He added that an agreement formalising this decision will be signed soon.

Minister Patil has appealed to the National Medical Council (NMC) to increase the number of postgraduate seats in medicine from 600 to 700 and undergraduate seats to 800 in the interest of the poor and the needy.

In September 2024, Minister Sharan Prakash Patil ordered the formation of a fee regulatory committee to monitor and regulate the fee structures of nursing colleges across the state following the complaints about exorbitant fees allegedly charged by them.

The five-member fee regulatory committee is headed by the Joint Secretary of the Medical Education Department.

Patil had also instructed to withdraw the Essential and Feasibility Certificate (EC & FC) of any nursing college found imposing fees beyond government-prescribed limits.

In a move against substandard para-medical colleges, Minister Patil had also directed officials to withdraw affiliations and shut down institutions failing to meet infrastructure and teaching standards.

--IANS

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