11 colleges to retain last year's fee structure

The State government on Saturday reached an agreement with 11 self-financing medical colleges in the State in regard to fee structure.

Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy, Education Minister M.A. Baby, Health Secretary Usha Titus and representatives of Self-financing Medical College Management consortium took part in the talks.

The Health Minister told reporters that 11 self-financing medical colleges had agreed to continue this academic year the fee structure fixed for last year.

“They also agreed to levy from 550 students fee equivalent to that in government medical colleges. The number of students constitute about 50 per cent of the intake capacity of the self-financing colleges,” she said.

The Education Minister said the government would seriously look into the grievances raised by the 11 self-financing medical colleges and try to solve them in the next academic year.

The Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur (of the CMI order); Pushpagiri Medical College, Thiruvalla (of the Thiruvalla Archieparchy of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church); Malankara Orthodox Syrian Christian Medical College, Kolenchery; and the Jubilee Mission Medical College, Thrissur (of the Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur) did not participate in the talks.

Mr. Baby said that doors for talks with these colleges were still not closed. “The government is ready to take the initiative for talks with them,” he added.