Fee Hike Across 13 Medical Colleges in Gujarat Withdrawn
The recent decision to increase fees for undergraduate medical courses in 13 colleges under the Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society (GMERS) has been reversed. A prominent news source has reported that the Admission Committee for Professional Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Educational Courses (ACPUGMEC) and (ACPPGMEC) have rescinded their previous ruling, leading the government to reinstate the original fee structure.
Initially, the Gujarat government proposed a revised fee arrangement in July, affecting management quota, government quota, and non-resident Indian (NRI) quota seats. Notably, the annual fee for government quota seats saw a substantial 66.66% surge, rising from Rs 3.30 lakh to Rs 5.50 lakh. Similarly, the management quota fee experienced an 88.88% increase, climbing from Rs 9 lakh to Rs 17 lakh per annum. Additionally, the NRI quota seats' annual fee jumped from $22,000 to $25,000 (approximately Rs 18 lakhs to 20 lakhs), reflecting a 13.63% rise.
However, on August 8, the Admission Committee unexpectedly announced the reversal of the fee hike, reverting to the previous fee structure. This unforeseen decision has resulted in the nullification of admissions for approximately 6,000 candidates who were already assigned seats during the initial round of admissions. Sources indicate that the committee will need to restart the admissions process and will release an updated schedule in due course.
The Gujarat Medical Education and Research Society oversees 13 medical institutions that collectively provide 2,100 medical seats within the state. According to the established guidelines, 75% of these seats are allocated for the state quota, 10% for the management quota, and 15% for the NRI quota. The distribution includes 1,500 state quota seats, 315 NRI quota seats, and 210 management quota seats across all GMERS medical colleges. Any remaining NRI quota seats are subsequently converted into management quota seats.
Following the initial fee hike announcement, various student organizations expressed their dissent, including the National Students Union of India (NSUI), associated with the Congress Party, the All-India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). These groups united in protest against the fee increase and demanded its withdrawal.