JOIN USThe Department of Medical Education has clarified that the fee hike announced on April 1 will apply only for postgraduate medical, dental and diploma courses and not for undergraduate courses.
The statement comes in the wake of recent reports that the government had decided to increase the fee by 10 per cent for all medical and dental courses.
The confusion on the issue began with an government order, which was issued on April 1, that specified an increase in fees for undergraduate as well as postgraduate medical and dental courses.
However, the department has now claimed that there was an error in the order.
It has clarified that the revised fee structure was applicable only to postgraduate medical, dental and diploma courses.
“There has been an error in the order, and it has been rectified. There is an agreement between the department and COMED-K only to hike entrance fees of postgraduate medical and diploma courses,” said Minister of State for Medical Education Dr Sharan Prakash Patil.
The order had raised concerns not only among medical seat aspirants, but also among the educational institutions.
Meanwhile, the State government is still undecided over implementing the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act, 2006. As a result, the differences between the government and private educational institutions remains unresolved. Though several meetings have been held between the two parties, there is still no consensus. Official sources said that private educational institutions were lobbying to hike fees for medical and engineering courses.