Maharashtra: Third medical college opts for company structure; students to lose state scholarship benefits

Maharashtra’s new ASPL’s CSMSS Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar will not be eligible for scholarships from the state government. It is the third medical college across the state to be operated by a private limited company.

According to the official notice, students seeking admission to the new medical college will not be eligible to receive any scholarship from the Maharashtra government under Government Resolution (GR), issued by the Medical education and drugs department.

The college has fixed an ad-hoc annual tuition fee of Rs 8.5 lakh for MBBS students under the state quota, while the institutional quota fee is Rs 25.5 lakh and the NRI quota fee is Rs 42.5 lakh. A refundable caution deposit of Rs 50,000 is applicable across all three categories.

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CSMSS Medical College gets first time affiliation

ASPL’s CSMSS Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, is among the medical colleges in Maharashtra, seeking greater autonomy from state government control over fees and administration, according to an official notice.

Notably, students seeking admission to the new medical institute may not be eligible for various scholarships and financial assistance provided by the Maharashtra government, as such benefits are linked to the management and affiliation status of medical colleges.

The college has also stated that the Fees Regulating Authority (FRA) may finalise the annual tuition fee at Rs 12 lakh for the regular quota. The institutional quota fee could rise to Rs 36 lakh and the NRI quota fee to Rs 60 lakh once the fee is finalised, it read.

The fee notice said the current fees are ad-hoc fees declared by the FRA for all new colleges and will be finalised by the authority after two years. Students will have to pay the difference between the ad-hoc and finalised fee, and are required to submit an undertaking in writing at the time of admission, it added.

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VIMS, PIMS medical colleges under company structures

Furthermore, Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS), Palghar, and Prakash Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Sangli, are the other two medical colleges managed under company structures.

The development comes amid efforts by several private medical institutions in Maharashtra to seek greater autonomy from the state government, particularly over fees and administration.

In addition, two other medical colleges such as Vithalrao Vikhe Patil Foundation’s Medical College, Ahilyanagar, and NKP Salve Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, have been approved to become private universities.

The SMBT Group of Institutions in Igatpuri, Nashik, which also runs a medical college, has received deemed-to-be-university status. Somaiya Medical College, Mumbai, and BKL Walawalkar Rural Medical College, Ratnagiri, are also seeking greater autonomy through university status.

The college has fixed hostel charges at Rs 2.5 lakh per year for non-air-conditioned rooms and Rs 3 lakh for air-conditioned rooms. A refundable caution deposit of Rs 1 lakh will be charged for both categories.

The hostel accommodation is on a twin-sharing basis. The fee does not include mess or canteen charges, which will be payable separately.

With the state government scholarship restriction and the possibility of higher fees after FRA finalisation, students taking admission to the new medical college may face a higher financial burden compared with students eligible for state scholarship support at other institutions.