Pay Rs 8,000 to take MD/MS entrance test

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 7

Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, has found another way to burn a hole in the pockets of those planning to take the MD/MS entrance examination this year. It has raised the cost of prospectus to Rs 8,000, which was available for Rs 5,000 last year.

The university has made students virtually pay through the nose for higher studies over the past one year. The MD/MS thesis fee has been doubled to Rs 20,000, with a late fee of Rs 2,000.

There has also been a massive hike in fee for getting degrees in absentia, obtaining confidential result, degree transcript etc.

A medical graduate from the university who wanted to appear for the postgraduate entrance examination said the university had already raised fee manifold and now it had increased the cost of prospectus to Rs 8,000 which many poor students might find difficult to pay. “Medical education has been virtually put on sale due to the mushrooming of private colleges. The authorities are making a mockery of the efforts of students who burn the midnight oil in their zeal to serve mankind,” she said.

BFUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr Raj Bahadur said the fees were not revised for many years. “On the other hand, salaries of the employees have gone up and the university is also spending a lot on revamping the examination system. In order to meet these expenses, the state government has ordered to rationally increase different fees,” he said. Sources said the university was increasing various fees to tide over the financial crisis faced by it.

Earlier, the state government had increased the annual tuition fee for postgraduate courses from around Rs 45,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh.