More than 1,000 junior doctors pursuing post-graduation courses in the State are in a quandary due to a massive hike in the tuition fee by private medical colleges that came into place in 2017.
A group of students from a private medical college here said that they were not in a position to complete the course and get the certificates after the fee was hiked for three years, till 2019-20.
Fees for category A seats had been increased from ₹3.05 lakh to ₹6.9 lakh and for the category B seats, it was increased from ₹5.51 lakh to ₹24.20 lakh , they explained, alleging that the Admissions and Fee Regulation Committee (AFRC) had been bypassed in the process. The students faced a bleak future as the hike came in the middle of the course. “My parents are clueless on raising the huge amount for payment of fees,” said a student, K. Ramani, who will finish his course in April 2020. “We can either pay the fee or drop out of the course,” added another student, Swathi.
The Diploma students who finished their course in 2019 April were yet to receive their certificates, they said, adding their counterparts in Telangana had got relief as the High Court held the hike unlawful.
Adding to their woes was non-payment of stipend of ₹30,000 per month by a majority of private medical colleges, they complained.
They wanted the YSR Congress Party government to enter into an agreement with the private colleges and make medical education affordable to meritorious students coming from middle and low income group families.
