Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed that students seeking admissions into medical PG courses for 2020-23 to pay 50% and 60% of the enhanced fee amounts in Category-A and Category-B seats. This fee is in addition to the fee prescribed in GO MS no 29 issued on May 2, 2016.
A bench of Chief Justice Raghavenda Singh Chauhan and Justice Shameem Akther passed the interim orders after hearing a writ petition challenging the hike in fee of medical PG courses. Earlier, the bench of Justices M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice K. Lakshman recused itself from hearing the plea after Telangana Admissions and Fee Regulation Committee chairman Justice P. Swaroop filed a memo seeking to post the matter before any other bench.
In the interim direction, the bench headed by the CJ said students in both categories should give bonds for the remaining sums. The fee amounts paid by the students and the bonds furnished were subject to the final verdict to be delivered by the bench.
Over 100 students pursuing medical PG courses approached the HC seeking to set aside the hike. Passing the interim direction, the bench observed that the court needs to strike a balance the conflicting interests of the students and the medical colleges. Prima facie the fee hike appeared to be steep, the bench said.
In the backdrop of entire nation passing through a critical phase of tackling COVID-19 pandemic and the students and their parents finding it extremely difficult to get ready for payment of the enhanced fee amounts, the interim directions were being given, the bench said.
The HC directed the Registry to tag the PIL petitions (130 and 133) of 2017 to tag with the present writ petition. The matter was posted after four weeks for hearing.
