Hiked medical fees: Telangana HC directs partial payment

Hyderabad: Dealing with several petitions challenging the exorbitant fee hike for PG medical and dental courses for the block period of 2023-26, the Telangana High Court directed 30 PG medical colleges in the state, Kaloji Narayana Rao University for Health Sciences and the state government to facilitate payment of partial fee amount at the time of admissions after taking personal bonds from the students for the remaining part of the fees.

As per the court orders, candidates belonging to category-A, shall pay only 60 per cent of the amount as under GO 107, while B-category candidates shall pay 70 per cent of the amount. Candidates, who fall within the ambit of one of the two categories, shall at the time of payment, furnish a personal undertaking to pay the remaining amount on disposal of the petition filed by the students, in case, the  same is required to be paid.

Meanwhile, students who have deposited the entire fee cannot claim immediate refund.

Justice Ch. Sumalatha issued these interim orders in the petition filed by 228 MBBS doctors, who challenged GO 107, fixing the fee for PG courses in medical and dental.

Around 228 MBBS doctors, who wish to pursue PG courses, approached the High Court complaining that the fee hike, across quotas, was abnormal. The state government argued that the petition itself was not maintainable as the court has limited power to put GOs to scrutiny.

But, rejecting the said contentions, the court opined that the medical professions and courses are not businesses and passed interim orders.