The design of extracting crores of rupees for medical seats under management and NRI quotas has been struck down by the Fee Regulating Authority.
The state-appointed FRA, which decides the tuition charges for all professional colleges in Maharashtra, has stated that fees for post-graduate medical courses need to be quota-blind. Last year, several colleges had set their NRI and management seat fees at three to four times the merit/state quota fees.
The circular, which has been sent to all private colleges, has shocked managements. So much so, they have now refrained from participating in the admission process for this year that has already started. Many colleges are awaiting clarity from the government.
While the FRA released the policy only for PG admissions, many in the know say the same would soon be made applicable to undergraduate admissions too. Private college managements have threatened to close down their campuses and not hold any admissions this year.
“I have received a letter from the FRA stating that fees for all three categories-merit seats, institutional seats and NRI quota-will be the same,” said Dr Praveen Shingare, Head of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).
Colleges have 50% seats for merit quota, 35% for institutional quota and 15% are NRI seats.
“This is an expenditure-based fee structure and there is no question of charging higher fee to some student and lower to others,” said a member of the FRA.
