Medical students still seek refund assured by Devendra Fadnavis

Former CM Devendra Fadnavis had advised the students to take admission in private colleges and said the difference in fees would be paid to them by the state. File pic

Over 259 open category MBBS and dental (even post-graduate merit students) students, who were denied admission in government colleges due to reservations under the Socially and Economically Backward Category (SEBC), took admissions in private medical/dental colleges, after assurances from the previous state government about reimbursement of fees difference. But they are still awaiting the reimbursement for the current academic year, while colleges are seeking fees for the new courses that will commence from September.

Difference to be reimbursed
A decision about the reimbursement of difference in fees had been taken and conveyed, vide GR dated September 20, 2019, (mid-day has a copy). As per the GR, students who were denied a seat in government medical/dental colleges, after the reserved quota was increased from 52 per cent to 78 per cent in Maharashtra to accommodate the Maratha community, could take admission in private medical/dental colleges. The difference between the government and private college fees, would be reimbursed, for students who clear their examination. Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had advised the students to take admission in private colleges and said the difference in fees would be paid to them by the state. As per the GR, it is a one-time reimbursement.

Parents, guardians worried
Krishna Maheshwaram, management consultant and the guardian of a student, said, "The previous state government had assured open category MBBS students that their seats will not be compromised at the cost of providing reservation to any community. The Directorate of Medical Education & Research (DMER) has issued a partial list for 106 students for reimbursement, but the students and their families still await it before the next term commences around September 2020."

Nipul Shah, whose son is in first year MBBS, said that merit students from the open category, who get into government colleges, have to shell out not less than R1 lakh for every academic year and could get further subsidy from the state government, if they are from the economically backward category. "The annual fees in private medical colleges across Maharashtra, range between R5 lakh and R15 lakh, which is what we all have paid for the first year with great difficulty," Shah said.

A senior official from The Directorate of Medical Education & Research (DMER) who did not want to be named, said that though he would have to look into the details of the case, "To the best of my knowledge, the current government is positively open to the idea and will honour the promises made in the past, when they were in coalition. The delay could be because of the current pandemic situation".

259
Approximate no. of students seeking the refund

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news