Karnataka: Private Medical Colleges Hike MBBS Course Fees by 10% for 2024 Academic Year

Bangalore: fees for undergruate medical courses at private colleges will see a 10% increase for current acemic year, following an agreement reached between government and private medical college managements. decision was finalized during a meeting on Saturday, where both parties signed agreement, officially setting new fee structure.

Under new fee structure, government quota seats in private medical colleges will now cost Rs 1,40,621, while a private seat in se colleges will be priced at Rs 11,88,167. This marks a significant rise from last year's fees, where government quota seats were priced at Rs 1,28,746 and private seats at Rs 9,94,906.

Private medical college managements h initially pushed for a fee hike of 15% to 20%, citing increased maintenance costs, staff salary hikes, and or expenses. However, government, led by Minister for Medical Education Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil, agreed to a more modest 10% increase. Dr. Patil was initially resistant to hike but eventually conceded after managements presented ir case.

fee hike follows a similar 10% increase implemented last year, which applied only to minority medical colleges. This year, hike has been extended across all private medical colleges, while fees for government medical colleges remain unchanged at Rs 50,000 per year.

No Decision Yet on NRI Seat Allocation

Amid fee hike, a separate issue concerning allocation of NRI seats remains unresolved. Private medical colleges have filed an appeal in high court challenging a recent judgment that would require m to allocate NRI seats to government. outcome of this legal battle will determine how se seats are distributed.

“We can decide on NRI seats only after court order,” said a representative of one of private medical colleges involved in case.

This development has sparked discussions among students and parents, particularly concerning affordability of medical education in private institutions. government, meanwhile, continues to emphasize importance of maintaining a balance between fair pricing and financial sustainability of private colleges.

impact of se changes on aspiring medical students, especially those from economically weaker sections, remains to be seen as new acemic year approaches.