Private medical college bars 61 students from attending classes

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, April 12

Maharishi Markandeshwar Private Medical College, Kumarhatti, has barred 61 MBBS (second year) students from attending classes due to non-payment of fee. The latter was also kept captive, it is learnt.

Terming it as an illegal act, the Private Medical and Dental College Student-Parent Association, Shimla, represented their case before the HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission (HPPERC).

Taking strict note of their complaint, Dr KK Katoch, chairman, HPPERC, passed an interim order yesterday, directing the college that pending review of the fee by the state government, the students who had paid the fee for the current academic session should be allowed to attend the classes and ensure that no student was kept in captivity. The college was also told to file its reply before the commission by April 23.

The Parents’ Association, however, rued that despite the interim orders, the MBBS students were not allowed to attend the classes today.

They alleged that the college authorities were also sending SMSes to the parents that their wards were absent just to prevent any legal action whereas students were forcibly made to stay off classrooms.

The parents said fee of the college had always been a matter of dispute since its inception. The state government had issued a notification on March 8, 2017, as per which the fee for state quota seats and management quota seats was Rs 5,50,000 and Rs 10,39,500 per student per annum, respectively. This was supposed to remain the same for full MBBS course for the students admitted during the session 2017-18.

The constitution of the MBBS fee fixation committee of Himachal Pradesh is contrary to the directions of the Supreme Court. The university just after six months managed to revise this notified fee structure that too without the meeting and concurrence of the fee fixation committee.

According to the notification, fee for state quota seats and management quota seats was hiked from Rs 5,50,000 to Rs 7,00,000 and from Rs 10,39,500 to Rs 12,00,000 per student per annum, respectively. This was challenged in the High Court.

The association alleged that even after the payment of the revised fee by the parents, the college was now illegally demanding 10 per cent higher fee.

The association demanded that the government and the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission should take strict action against the authorities of the private medical college for not adhering to their instructions and torturing the students.

Govt notification on fee structure revised

• The state government had issued a notification on March 8, 2017, as per which the fee for state quota seats and management quota seats was Rs 5,50,000 and Rs 10,39,500 per student per annum, respectively. 
• This was supposed to remain the same for MBBS students admitted during the session 2017-18.
• The university just after six months managed to revise the notified fee structure.