An 11-member national level fee regulation committee has been formed by University Grants Commission (UGC) to finalize the fee for the MBBS course in deemed universities of Tamil Nadu. A bench of the Madras High Court comprising of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice PT Asha has directed the committee to give a finalized fee structure by October 31.
Standing counsel for UGC, PR Gopinathan made the submission to the court that the committee would fix the fee payable for MBBS courses offered by deemed universities after giving a fair chance to all stakeholders, including students and parents. The submission was made when the PIL moved by advocate VBR Menon came up for hearing on Tuesday.
In June, an interim order on the fee was passed by the bench, capping the fee at Rs 13 lakh. The High Court bench then said, “We are informed that the (UGC) fee committee has earlier fixed Rs 11.50 lakh as management quota for medical colleges run by the deemed universities and the students may now be admitted subject to the payment of Rs 13 lakh.”
However, last week the High Court order on the fee was stayed by a vacation bench of the Supreme Court, permitting Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute to collect Rs 22 lakh as the fee for this academic year. Until the UGC committee finalizes the fee, this will be the fee collected by the college.
The committee will be headed by former AIIMS Director RC Deka and will include Dr OP Kaira, Vice Chancellor Pt BD Sharma University of Health Science, Haryana; Saroj Chooramani Gopal, former Vice-Chancellor, King George Medical University, Uttar Pradesh; Mahesh Verma, Director, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi; Ajay S Chandanwale, Dean, BJ Medical College, Pune; S K Ray, former Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of HRD; Sanjay Shrivastava, former professor of Ophthalmology; Dr B Srinivas, ADG, Union Ministry of Family Welfare, Joint Secretary of UGC and two more members who will be nominated by the Medical Council of India.