NDA Continuing Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Policy of ‘Selling’ MBBS Seats

Vijayawada: The TD-led alliance government is likely to continue with the policy introduced by the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government to ‘sell’ MBBS seats in government medical colleges under the garb of self-finance and NRI categories in AP.

The state government’s counsel reportedly informed the AP High Court recently that the government had not taken any decision on the MBBS fee issue in government medical colleges and intended to continue with the same for the time being.

The YSRC government had issued GO 108 on July 19, 2023, on fixation of the fee structure per annum for the undergraduate medical courses in government medical colleges in AP from the academic year 2023-24. Accordingly, the fees per annum was fixed at Rs 15,000 for general category (50 per cent seats), `12 lakh for the self-financing category (35 per cent seats) and Rs 20 lakh for NRI category (15 per cent seats).

It also issued GO 107 dated July 19, 2023, detailing on amendments carried out to AP Government Professional Institutions (Regulation of admissions into Undergraduate Medical and Dental Professional Courses) Rules, 2004, stating that 15 per cent of seats will be allocated to All India Quota and the remaining 85 per cent seats to the general category, self-financing and NRI category.

Telugu Desam and Jana Sena had raised a hue and cry over the YSRC government’s decision to fix a fee for MBBS seats.

TD general secretary and present HRD minister Nara Lokesh, while interacting with youths in August 2023, slammed the YSRC government for doing so. “The YSRC government had created a situation of selling MBBS seats. Once the Telugu Desam assumed power, we would provide such seats to the poor. I would assure you all publicly that I would take the responsibility to annul the GO within 100 days of assuming power. Poverty has no caste, religion and region and our government will make efforts to develop the state free from poverty,” he had said.

So was the case with Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan. He had faulted the GO and said, “Jagan Mohan Reddy is selling medical college seats also. When the Centre granted additional seats, the Telangana government gave such seats to all sections of the people while the YSRC government is selling them. It is very unfortunate. The seats meant for economically backward classes, the BC, SC and ST sections of students, are being sold away.”

Though the alliance government led by N. Chandrababu Naidu took power on June 12, it has not taken a decision on the MBBS fee issue yet. Though the admissions for MBBS first year course were to begin by this time, the paper leak issue of NEET UG-2024 and the resultant court cases caused a delay.

When contacted, Director of Medical Education Dr D.S.V.L. Narasimham said, “At present, the state government is maintaining the status quo on the issue of fixation of fee to MBBS seats in government medical colleges in AP.”

Meanwhile, AP Medicos Parents Association representatives led by its president Ala Venkateswarlu called on health minister Satya Kumar and submitted a representation recently. Their contention was that medical seats in all the government colleges were earmarked for meritorious students and no state was allotting the seats in government medical colleges to the Management Quota.

He said, “We appeal to the state government to cancel/revoke the said GOs immediately so that the state government can provide 325 additional seats in MBBS to the poor meritorious students on a ‘year on year’ basis.”