The Madras High Court has directed the Puducherry deemed universities to admit candidates provisionally selected for admission to PG medical courses through common counselling by taking ₹10 lakh as fee for the time being.
The First Bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M. Sundar also directed the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to immediately constitute a committee to determine the actual fee payable for the courses for colleges affiliated to deemed universities.
The Bench passed the interim orders on a PIL moved by advocate V.B.R. Menon alleging that deemed universities in Puducherry are refusing to accept students admitted through common counselling in the State quota, and are demanding fees to the tune of ₹40 to ₹50 lakh as against the ₹5.5 lakh fixed by the statutory fee committee for self-financing colleges.
“Considering that the future of the students, who are admitted pursuant to this interim order, remains uncertain, there is an immense urgency and we expect that the UGC and the HRD Ministry shall forthwith constitute the committee to regulate the fees chargeable by the self-financed deemed to be universities, after giving all stake-holders including the Universities, adequate opportunity of representation,” the Bench said.
The Bench also added that by reason of the exorbitant fees notified by the deemed universities, there are still seats going vacant. The students who had duly competed and succeeded in clearing the admission tests and had undergone counselling are being deprived of an opportunity to pursue their higher studies.
Pointing out that the self-financed private medical colleges are charging a fee of ₹5.5 lakh per annum under government quota and ₹14 lakh under the management quota for the same courses, the judges said, “We find it difficult to accept that the fee of ₹40 to ₹50 lakh by the universities is reasonable.”
Making it clear that the admissions shall be effected within 5 p.m. on June 19 and the students shall be allowed to attend classes from the very next day, the Bench directed the authorities to give wide publicity to the order through media.
The court noted that students, who had already got admitted by depositing the full fee, are entitled for refund or adjustment of the excess fee paid.
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