Protest erupts in Bengaluru over proposed fee hike and NRI quota

NEW DELHI, JANUARY 7: The proposal to raise course fee and introduce NRI quota in government medical colleges had students from government medical colleges up in arms who gathered in hundreds in front of the Town Hall to protest against the move.

They demanded the proposal be withdrawn claiming it as unconstitutional and something that would commercialize medical education in the country, making it out of reach for economically weaker families.

The government had recently proposed to increase UG fee from Rs 17,000 to Rs 50,000, and the fee for PG courses from 50,000 to Rs 3 lakh. Also, there was a plan to reserve 10% seats for NRI candidates from 2019-20 in government medical colleges.

All India Vice-President of Medical Service Centre, Dr Sudha Kamath said middle and lower-income families would bear the brunt from the proposed developments as the exorbitant cost would make the road to becoming doctors much more difficult. Another fallout, she pointed out, with the fee hike, would be creation of more business minded doctors rather those those dedicated to the service of humanity. The protests were organized by All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO).