MUMBAI: While the stalemate between private
medical colleges and the state continues over the fee structure for postgraduate seats, the government on Tuesday came up with a solution to absorb students who have been refused admissions by these institutes.
Wednesday is the last day for
PG medical admissions but private colleges are yet to begin the process. This year, the
Fee Regulating Authority has stipulated a three-tier structure under which a college can charge NRI quota (15%) students up to five times the fees of merit students while management (35%) quota students can be charged up to three times. But private colleges want to charge management quota (35%) students on par with NRI quota.
Aspirants who have been allotted seats at private colleges are camping outside institutes, only to be turned away by unrelenting managements.
The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) has decided to meet these students and take down the details of their experiences at private colleges.
“We will ask students to give in writing the details of the colleges they visited and the fact that they were not admitted,” said DMER head Dr Praveen Shingare. “Once we take these complaints, we will make these students eligible for the second round,” he added. To date, of the 900 seats in the public colleges, 800 have been filled. Apart from the 100-odd vacant seats in government colleges, the DMER is expecting another 200-300 seats that will be surrendered from the all-India quota. Those seats will also be made available in the fresh round. Private colleges in the state have 400 seats, including 60 NRI seats.
However, it is not clear whether the solution would allow students to pursue the master’s degree in their choice of branches. Barring Kashibai Navale Medical Institute, no private medical college is admitting postgraduate candidates. Guards have been informing students that the colleges have an issue with the fees determined by the state.
“This is utter harassment. Students are made to go from pillar to post and the government is not intervening,” said cardiologist and medical activist Dr
Sandip Rane.
“My son was allotted a merit seat in MIMER, Talegaon. But he was told there was no admission taking place as the fee issue has not been resolved. Why isn’t this sorted by the government before they ask us to fill choices?” asked a parent.
A member of the
Parents Association of Medical Students
Rajesh Jain said he was flooded with complaints from students. “This should not be tolerated by the state as students are being put through immense trouble,” he said.
Some candidates have sent written complaints to the government and on its part, the CET commissioner has decided to send all these grievances to the Medical Council of India. Kamal Kishore Kadam, president of the Association of Managements of Unaided Private Medical and Dental Colleges, said, “We are not going to start admissions tomorrow too. No admissions till the fee is resolved. We are not here to do charity. Our colleges cannot sustain on such low fees.”
