VIJAYAWADA: The State government has reduced the fee for Category C (NRI quota) and Category B (management quota) seats of undergraduate medical and dental courses in private and unaided non-minority and minority colleges, while increasing it for Category A (convenor quota) seats.
The government has considered the recommendations of the Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission (APHERMC) with respect to the fee structure of the undergraduate medical and dental courses in the private and unaided non-minority and minority colleges in the State.
The government has issued an order revising the fee structure, which will be applicable for the block period of 2020-21 to 2022-23. The annual fee has been fixed at Rs 15,000 for Category A, Rs 12 lakh for Category B and up to Rs 36 lakh for Category C seats respectively. Under the old structure, the fee was Rs 12,155 for Category A, Rs 13.36 lakh for Category B and around Rs 66.8 lakh for Category C seats respectively.
APHERMC Secretary N Rajasekhar on Friday said for the current block period of 2020-21 to 2022-23, the fee for Category C seats was reduced by three times that of Category B. "No college is left out and all are included in the list. These are the only private colleges in the State where medical education is available. No college permission is withdrawn," he said.
The annual fee is all-inclusive. It includes tuition fee, special fee, laboratory/library fee, computer or internet fee, maintenance and amenities fee, extracurricular activities fee, development fee and other recurring expenditure. The fee does not include hostel, transport and mess charges, registration and admission fee and refundable laboratory and library fee.
According to the government order, the revised fee structure is applicable to the new courses and colleges sanctioned during the block period of 2020-21 to 2022-23. The total fee shall be collected for a period of four-and-half years only as per the regulations of MCI/NMC.
The annual fee shall be collected at the beginning of each year. The same fee shall continue for the students admitted during the block period, till they complete the course. The college shall not charge either directly or indirectly any other amount over and above the fee fixed by the commission.
If any amount is charged under any other head or guise - donations - it amounts to charging of capitation fee and the errant college is liable to be prosecuted under Section 9 of Act 5 of 1983, apart from attracting penalty under the APHERMC Rules, 2019.
Stipend shall be paid to the UG medical and dental students on par with those studying in the government colleges during the period of compulsory rotatory internship.
Colleges that come under the new fee structure
Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences, Alluri Sitarama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences, Fathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Great Eastern Medical School, GSL Medical College, GVPH and Medical Technology, Katuri Medical College, Maharaja Institute of Medical Science, Narayana Medical College, Nimra Institute of Medical Sciences, NRI Medical College, NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, PES Institute of Medical Sciences, P Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences, Santhiram Medical College, VMC Medical College