Fee Hike Across 13 Medical Colleges in Gujarat Withdrawn – News18

The recently announced fee hike for undergraduate medical courses in 13 colleges under Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) has been withdrawn. The Admission Committee for Professional Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Educational Courses (ACPUGMEC) and (ACPPGMEC) have overturned their decision and the government has now returned to the original fee structure, reported a leading news daily.

The Gujarat government proposed a revised fee structure for management quota, government quota, and non-resident Indian (NRI) quota seats in July. The annual fee for government quota seats was raised from Rs 3.30 lakh to Rs 5.50 lakh, representing a 66.66 per cent increase.

Meanwhile, the management quota fee increased by 88.88 per cent, from Rs 9 lakh to Rs 17 lakh per annum. In addition, the annual fee for NRI quota seats was hiked from $22,000 to $25,000 (approximately Rs 18 lakhs to 20 lakhs), reflecting a 13.63 per cent increase.

However, on August 8, the Admission Committee announced the cancellation of the fee increase and the restoration of the prior fee structure. This unexpected move has resulted in the revocation of admissions for about 6,000 candidates who were assigned seats in the first round of admission. Reports state that the committee will now have to restart the admissions process and will issue an updated schedule soon.

The 13 medical institutions that are affiliated with the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society offer a total of 2,100 medical seats in the state. According to the guidelines, 75 per cent of the seats are designated for the state quota, 10 per cent for the management quota, and 15 per cent for the NRI quota.

There are 1,500 state quota seats, 315 NRI quota seats, and 210 management quota seats available at all GMERS medical colleges reports add. Any remaining NRI quota seats are then converted into management quota seats.

The National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress Party, the All-India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), voiced their disapproval to the fee hike after it was initially announced. These organisations rallied against the fee hike, demanding its withdrawal.