Tamil Nadu: Noting that medical colleges have to invest a lot of money in maintaining the infrastructure even if physical classes are not being held, the Madras High Court has refused to direct the private medical college to reduce the MBBS fee.
The petitioners approached the high court stating that since physical classes have not been held in the institution for almost 5 months, the annual fee of 22.50 lakhs should be reduced.
However, the court found that though the institution has conducted online classes since April this year due to the lockdown amidst the pandemic, they had to carry several other expenses. With this, the bench refused to direct SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre to reduce the annual fee.
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This came after the parents of some of the MBBS students of Tamil Nadu filed a petition in the Madras High court seeking the court's direction to reduce the fee of medical courses for the next academic year. team previously reported that SRM Medical College authorities issued an order asking the students to pay the full fee despite the lockdown after which the aggravated parents of the medical students appealed to the high court to direct the management to reduce 40% of the fee.
The counsel representing the petitioners stated that they have to pay 22.5 lacs including tuition fees and other fees for their medical course annually; however due to the lockdown amidst the pandemic, at least 50% of the total classes for the academic year have been suspended. They stated that the authorities of the colleges should consider reducing the amount significantly.
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Contending against the petition, the counsel for the institution submitted the physical classes were not held but a considerable amount of money had to be spent on maintaining the infrastructure and clearing the salaries of the staff. Moreover, the colleges now had also secured permission to start physical classes from this month and the National Medical Commission has also decided to extend the course period by three months but the colleges will not charge an additional amount for that.
According to The Hindu, after considering the submission of both the parties, Justice N. Anand Venkatesh said:
"Even though the situation is extraordinary, that does not mean that this court can exceed its limits and give directions which are not sustainable in the eye of law. Therefore, this court does not find any scope for reduction of tuition fees."
The daily reports that though the court refused to reduce the course fee from 22 Lakhs per annum, it also made a suggestion that the colleges can collect the amount in installments. The first installment of 40% should be paid on or before 15th December. The rest of the amount should be paid in two more installments before January 4th and February 8 respectively, the court suggested. The colleges have accepted the suggestion.
"The time granted by this court for the payment of fees in installments will not be extended under any circumstance … In the event of non-payment of fees as per the directions issued by this court, it is left open to the institution to proceed further in accordance with law," the court has ordered.