Colleges told not to take blank cheques

Fee panel says it has received complaints from students

The R. Rajendra Babu Fee Regulatory Committee has directed the principals of medical colleges not to collect blank cheques from students or their parents while admitting students to the MBBS course.

Further, the colleges are authorised to ask for a bank guarantee only for the first year as directed by the Supreme Court and the High Court of Kerala.

Order promises action

The order is consequent to the committee receiving complaints from the students admitted to the MBBS course and their parents that some colleges were insisting on getting a blank cheque and a bank guarantee for the second and third year also.

“Any demand for excess tuition fee, collection of blank cheques, and demand of bank guarantee for future years’ tuition fee i.e. for the second year onwards will be construed as collection of capitation as per Section 8(3) of Ordinance 13 of 2017 and action will be initiated against the erring medical colleges under Section 8(4) of the aforesaid Ordinance,” the committee’s order reads.

Mr. Babu told

The Hindu here on Monday that he had received both written and oral complaints from students and parents. Both were treated with equal seriousness. Many students who called the committee said they did not want to give a complaint under their name as they feared retribution from the college managements. There were at least 15 written complaints against the colleges.

Case of capitation fee

“The complaints were about two or three colleges. I did not want the colleges to be able to identify the complainants. That is why I issued a general order. I have made it clear that any such action will be defined as capitation fee,” he said.

A couple of colleges had demanded, in addition to the blank cheque, bank guarantee for the full five years of the MBBS course, he added.