CHENNAI: The management of the Government Stanley Medical College (GSMC) seems be confused over collecting tuition fees from SC/ST final- year Post Graduate medical students. Medicos complained that finalyear SC/ST PG students were told to pay Rs 36,000 including Rs 30,000 tuition fee, even though the government has exempt them from tuition fee.
Students say they have to pay only Rs 860. owever, the management denied the allegations and said it is waiting for clarification from the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and hasn’t ordered the students to pay the tuition fee. Medicos complained there has been no clarity and as Monday (April 5) is the last date to pay the fees, the students are anxious. A former PG medical student of the college said, “This is a problem every year.
These students are exempted from tuition fee and I don’t know why the management doubts it. When other medical colleges are clear, Stanley is always confused. For SC/ST final-year PG medical students the fee is only `860. But the management is asking for Rs 36,000.” Dr P Balaji, Dean, GSMC said, “It is because the DME prospectus is not clear about it. The old Government Order mentions schools and colleges, but there is no clarity about medical colleges. Also, it is not clear about students getting stipend.
These PG students are paid Rs 55,000 towards stipend every month. So, it is not clear whether they are also exempted. So, we have written to the DME to get clarification through the Adi Dravidar Department. But, we have not collected any tuition fee from the students so far,” he added. Meanwhile, another official said, “We need some written statement from the DME so that it is not a problem for us later.
We told the students that they can pay other fee and not the tuition fee. Even if they pay, they can get reimbursement. So it won’t be a problem.” Meanwhile, Dr R Narayana Babu, Director of Medical Education said, “For years, that has been the G.O., and it’s an established fact that SC/ ST students are exempted from tuition fee. There should not be any confusion in this now whether it is clear in the prospectus or not.”