Monday’s High Court verdict that declined to stay the fee structure for MBBS/BDS courses fixed by the R. Rajendra Babu committee has come as a blessing of sorts for the government.
On the one hand, there is relief that the HC has not stayed the ordinance issued by the government on the fee structure in medical/dental colleges. By not staying the ordinance, it can be argued, the HC has given an indirect okay for the fee agreement arrived at between the government and two medical colleges — the MES medical college and the Karakkonam college run by the Church of South India.
The spin given on the judgment by MES spokesman Fazal Gafoor is that it is a shot in the arm for government. “The judgment, by not staying the latest ordinance promulgated by the government, has indirectly okayed the agreement arrived at between the State government and two medical colleges. Eventually all other medical colleges would have to come around to that agreement,” Dr. Gafoor said.
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The ordinance clearly states that there can be a consensual agreement between the government and the college managements. So, since the HC has not stayed the government ordinance, the agreement also would stand, he pointed out.
On the other hand, the HC judgment has asked the government and the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations to notify the provisional fee fixed by the committee. This means that there would be two types of fee in a majority of the State’s medical colleges.
To avoid this the government has a window of opportunity to put together a fee structure that is agreeable to all college managements and get the fee regulatory committee to approve the same.
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The secretary of the private medical colleges managements’ association Anilkumar Vallil told The Hindu that there is scope for a discussion with the government on the fee issue. No date has been fixed yet for the same, he added.