Puducherry: Gov't urged to fix fees in private medical colleges on par with those in Tamil Nadu 

The Puducherry State Students' and Parents' Welfare Association has urged the Puducherry government’s Fee Committee to fix the fees in private medical colleges, including the minority medical colleges in the Union Territory, on par with fees fixed in private medical colleges in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.

A report in The New Indian Express mentioned that in a memorandum which was addressed to the Fee Committee Chairman Justice T Sudanthiram who is a retired Judge of Madras High Court, V Balasubramanian the President of the Association stated that the Puducherry government had increased the fees in private medical colleges from Rs 3.8 lakh to Rs 4.8 lakh the previous year. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic impact on a number of families, this fee hike was put on hold by Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister N Rangasamy.

Balasubramanian said that the fees in private medical colleges and minority-run institutions have already been fixed by the Tamil Nadu government at Rs 4.35 lakh and Rs 3.8 lakh, respectively, as reported by TNIE. He also said that the Fee Committee in Puducherry should fix the fees in private medical colleges and minority-run institutions immediately, as per the guidelines issued by the National Medical Council (NMC). He stated that the fee structure that is to be fixed now should remain in force for a consecutive period of three years.

The Puducherry State Students' and Parents' Welfare Association has urged the government to secure 65% of seats in private medical colleges and 50% of seats in minority-run medical colleges under the government quota similar to Tamil Nadu. Currently, the seats reserved by the government in private medical colleges in Puducherry is only 35% which gives the space for fixing lesser fees compared to the fee fixed by Tamil Nadu, said Balasubramanian, as reported by TNIE.