Private medical colleges in the state have threatened not to undertake fresh admissions unless fee is hiked for the block period 2013-2016

Private medical colleges in the state have threatened not to undertake fresh admissions unless fee is hiked for the block period 2013-2016

HYDERABAD: Private medical colleges in the state have threatened not to undertake fresh admissions unless fee is hiked for the block period 2013-2016 is carried out in a manner that is
commensurate with the expenditure they are bearing on each student. Interestingly, the demand comes ahead of the engineering and medical admission exam (Eamcet) is slated to be held on May 10.

The colleges, which have submitted hike proposals to the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC), are demanding an inflation-linked fee increase every year. By this, the fee would be automatically either hiked or slashed depending on the annual inflation rate.

However, the state government is in no mood to agree to the proposal as it would put an enormous burden on it as it has to reimburse the fee of students belonging to poorer sections. "In fact, there would be no hike in the fee this year. The managements of private medical colleges did suggest that the fee be linked to inflation. But that is not feasible," medical education minister Kondru Murali told .

The admission test (Eamcet) for engineering colleges and medical colleges is slated to be held on May 10.

Justifying the demand for linking the fee to inflation, All India Private Medical Colleges Association president Ganni Bhaskar Rao said: "When power tariff can be hiked based on the market conditions and petrol and diesel prices tagged to the market, why can't admission fee of medical colleges be linked to inflation."

According to Rao, depending on the category, each medical college spends Rs 6.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh on each student per annum. "Even government medical colleges spend about Rs 12 lakh to Rs 13 lakh on every student. Without hike, it would be difficult to maintain standards as well as pay UGC scales to faculty," Rao said.

According to sources in the AFRC which has to fix the fee for three years commencing with 2013, a nominal hike could be in the offing. But the private medical colleges are giving thumbs down to a nominal hike. "A hike of 5 to 10 per cent will not be acceptable. We will not be able to go ahead with admissions if there is no fee hike," said Bhaskar Rao.

Ch Malla Reddy, of Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, said he was ready to give all seats to the convener if the amount the college spends on each student is reimbursed. "We have submitted our proposals along with audit reports. We are spending Rs 15 lakh on every student. Let the entire amount be reimbursed to us, we will do away with the management quota system," he said.