As the new academic year approaches, aspiring medical students seeking seats in non-minority colleges may face a hike in fees for private quota MBBS seats. Following a precedent set last year by minority colleges, it is expected that non-minority institutions will now follow suit and effect a similar 10% fee increase.
In the year 2022, two prominent minority college associations, namely the Association of Minority Professional Colleges and the Karnataka Religious and Linguistic Minorities Professional Colleges Association, signed a historic consensual agreement to hike fees by 10% for private quota seats in their affiliated institutions. However, the Karnataka Professional Colleges Foundation (KPCF) chose not to increase fees, citing disagreements over the terms. The crux of the matter was the colleges' differing stances on fee hikes for government quota seats.
Unlikely Fee Hike for Government Seats in Private Colleges
Until last year, only minority colleges had experienced a fee hike, while non-minority private colleges maintained a fee of Rs 9,94,406 for their private quota seats. This marked the first instance in the history of Karnataka's medical education system where two types of consensual agreements were signed. With the recent decision, fees in non-minority private colleges are expected to be brought on par with their minority counterparts.
MR Jayaram, President of KPCF, stated that it is unlikely that there will be a fee hike for government seats in private colleges, providing some relief to students vying for those positions.
Awaiting the Official Agreement
As per the directorate of medical education, while a fee hike is highly likely for private quota seats in non-minority colleges, the consensual agreement is yet to be formally signed. The government has revealed that there are a total of 11,620 MBBS seats available for the 2023-24 academic year. These seats are distributed across various categories, with 900 seats in private universities, 2,245 in non-minority colleges, 2,300 in minority medical colleges, 2,450 in deemed universities, and 3,725 in government colleges as of June 28.
Unified Option-Entry Process
To streamline the admissions process, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has announced that the option-entry process for NEET candidates will be conducted simultaneously with CET candidates this year. This process is expected to commence in the coming week.
As the prospect of higher fees looms, prospective medical students and their families await the final decision on the consensual agreement, hoping for a fair and transparent system that will enable deserving students to pursue their dreams of becoming healthcare professionals.
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