Parents of MBBS students in the State’s private medical colleges have sought the intervention of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the managements’ insistence on advance payment of fees even when the classes and exams have been delayed due to COVID-19.
Most private medical colleges, except those run by Christian managements, have asked the students to pay the fee for the next academic year by this month. Some have even threatened to charge 1% fine if fee is not paid before the deadline. The parents are angry over the imbalance in academic progress and levying of tuition fees.
For example, students of the 2017 MBBS batch have been asked to pay the fifth year’s fees when they have not even taken their third year’s examination. Similarly, students of the 2018 batch have been asked to pay their fourth year’s fees though they are yet to write their second year examination.
“This is blatant injustice. The private medical colleges are proving yet again that they are unconscionably money-minded even when the whole world is tottering under the pandemic. How can one justify asking for the third year’s fee when the first year’s classes are not over yet?” said Anil K.S., general secretary of the Parents Coordination of Medical Students (PCOMS).
The MBBS students of the 2019 batch have already paid fee for two years. Their first year’s exam is not yet over, and their second year classes began two months ago. “These students are asked to pay the third year’s fees by this month,” said Habeeb Rahman, a parent of a 2019 student.
The classes for the 2020 batch started in February this year. Those students too have been asked to pay the second year’s fees.
The private medical college authorities said they were going by the fee schedule and any change would upset the whole system.
The four colleges run by the Christian managements, however, assured the students that they would have to pay the fee only when they completed the current academic year.
