New Delhi, November 9, 2022: SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh – The Supreme Court has terminated the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to increase tuition fees in medical colleges to INR 24 lakh per year. The court said that this is seven times more than the fee that was fixed earlier and such a huge hike in fees was not acceptable. The bench also reminded the Andhra Pradesh government that education is not a business to make profit. “The tuition fee must always be affordable,” the bench remarked.
The top court’s observation came as it rejected a plea that was filed by a certain college against the earlier Andhra Pradesh High Court order. As per this order, the government’s decision to hike the tuition fee of MBBS students was completely incorrect.
SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh – Happenings Till Date
- The SC has asked the Narayana Medical College to refund the excessive fee to students who got admitted since the academic year 2017-18.
- The SC has told the Narayana Medical College that it cannot ask back the illegally collected amount.
- In the past, the Andhra Pradesh High Court had reminded the college about the provisions of the Andhra Pradesh Admission & Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC).
- Under these provisions, the fees cannot be increased or fixed without proper consultation with concerned authorities.
- The SC said that the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC) must consider various factors like – location of the institution, nature of the course, the course cost & available infrastructure to determine the amount of the tuition fee.
SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh – Great News for Students
The benefits expected for the medical students as a result of this order are as follows:
- The minimum fees for studying MBBS in India is INR 4 lakhs per year and the maximum fees goes up to INR 15 lakhs per year. So, medical education is expensive. Such a decision will help keep study costs low.
- Such a decision will stop colleges from demanding additional money from students in the name of fee.
- A majority of medical aspirants come from middle class families and such a move will greatly benefit them in paying the MBBS tuition fee.
- Students of Narayana Medical College will be refunded the excessive fee that was taken from them.
- This is very good news for medical students, who have always found the fee of medical colleges on the higher side.
SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh – What Students Said
- The pain-stricken medical students who had to pay a hefty fee, said that the government order for fee hike on September 6, 2017 was done without consulting the Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC).
- They said that in 2017, the state acted only on the recommendations it had received from the private medical colleges and consulted no one else.
SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh – Other Details
- Noting the problem faced by students, the Supreme Court said, “The medical colleges are the receivers of the excessive money which the high court has strongly objected to in the past.”
- The bench said it was well aware of the hardships faced by students who paid their fees by taking a loan from banks and financial institutions at a very high rate of interest.
SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh – Colleges’ Claim
- After the SC verdict on MBBS fees, the Narayana Medical College told the Supreme Court that between 2011 and 2017, they had to bear plenty of additional expenses and this is why they hiked the fee.
- The college also said that it was because of the new rule introduced in 2016, which made it compulsory for them to pay stipend to students. They had no other option but to raise the fee.
Note: To read the Supreme Court judgement in detail, click here.
SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh – FAQs
Why is the fee of MBBS so high in India?
The low number of seats in India makes medical studies very difficult for students who come from middle income groups. Each year, there are 14 lakh applications for NEET, while there are just 90,000 MBBS seats. A private medical course in India costs around INR 25 lakh per year, which can very well go over INR 1 crore. So, fee is a very crucial factor for studying MBBS in India. The recent SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh is a welcome move and is something medical aspirants must check out.
What are the best and affordable medical colleges in India?
After the SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh, many students would be wanting to know the best and affordable medical colleges in India. Some of them are The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Delhi), Christian Medical College (Vellore), The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (Chandigarh), The National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (Bangalore) and the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (Lucknow), amongst others.
What is the AFRC?
The Andhra Pradesh Admission & Fee Regulatory Committee (AFRC) supervises all the admissions made by private and professional educational institutions. Its job is to make sure that the admissions are carried out in a transparent and fair way – without any exploitation. If the AFRC observes that admissions have not been not conducted in a proper professional way, and are not according to the applicable admission rules, then in such cases it holds the power to cancel such admissions and release new orders; as the situation may demand. In the recent SC Verdict MBBS Fees in Andhra Pradesh case, the consent of AFRC was not sought.
