According to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the state government is considering measures to reduce the fees for medical courses in Karnataka. The National Medical Council (NMC) is also examining the matter, which comes in the aftermath of the Ukraine crisis, so that more students can be facilitated to study at home.
The Chief Minister also apprised that the Centre is looking at alternatives for medical students who have returned from war-torn Ukraine. He, as per a PTI report, said "The current cost of medical education is increasing. Despite the cost of government seats being low, in the private sector, it is increasing. In some cases students, who score 90-95 per cent are unable to clear the NEET exams as management or NRI seat costs are also high, opt for media options (of studying in countries like Ukraine)." This came as a response to a question regarding changes in policies that would benefit students and allow them to study Medicine in India.
He further added, "The government has held discussions in this regard, to reduce the fees in the state. We are planning for A, B and C categorisation, but as the medical courses are controlled by the National Medical Council (NMC), they are also looking at it. Things are under consideration in the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis."
The Chief Minister was speaking ahead of visiting Chalageri village of Ranebennur taluk in Haveri district, to pay homage to Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagaudar, a final-year medical student at Kharkiv National Medical University who was killed on March 1 in the Russia-Ukraine war. Bommai had, earlier in the day, received the mortal remains of Gyanagaudar at the airport in Bengaluru.
