The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday permitted deemed universities to collect 75% of the fees recommended by respective committees, constituted by respective varsities for fixing fees for professional courses like medical, dental and engineering, while admitting students to the first year MBBS, BDS and BE courses for the academic year 2018-19.
A Division Bench comprising Justice A.S. Bopanna and Justice Mohammad Nawaz passed the interim order.
They did so after hearing the petitions filed by JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, and three other deemed universities.
The petitioner – deemed universities – had questioned the jurisdiction of State’s Fee Regulatory Committee to fix fees for the medical, dental and engineering institutes falling under the deemed universities as the Fee Regulator Committee issued directions to all universities to adhere to the fee fixed by it.
It has been contended by deemed universities that they are not controlled by the State’s legislation on admission and fixation of fee as they come under the jurisdiction of the University Grant Commission.
They have also pointed out in their petition that the Supreme Court in June this year had directed the University Grants Commission and the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development to constitute fee fixation committee for all the deemed universities across the country as per a direction issued by the Madras High Court.
