KOCHI: In a rare act of humanity, Dr Moopen’s Foundation has decided to offer admission to 50 students for the MBBS course at a fees of Rs 5 lakh per annum at DM WIMS Medical College, Wayanad.
In a letter addressed to Health Minister K K Shylaja, managing trustee of Moopen’s Foundation, Azad Moopen said the decision will help 50 meritorious students fulfil their life ambition of becoming doctors.
“I understand that many students who underwent counselling with good merit are unable to join the course due to the last-minute increase in fees from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 11 lakh. This is very unfortunate. Hence Moopen’s Foundation has decided to offer admission to 50 such students this year at a fees of Rs 5 lakh at DM WIMS,” said Azad Moopen.
He further said the benefit will be available to 50 students of this batch for the entire five-year period of their course.
“The impact of the concession shall be funded by the trust if the higher fee mandated by the Supreme Court is implemented. It will also alleviate the anxiety of parents who are running from pillar to post to get the mandated Rs 6 lakh as bank guarantee,” said Moopen.
OPPOSTION's suggestions
Measures should be taken to ensure that not even a single student is denied admission in the 15-day period allowed by the Supreme Court for students to produce the bank guarantee of Rs 6 lakh.
Students shall not be compelled by managements on the time- frame of 15 days to provide the bank guarantee. Admissions should be purely merit-based.
In the event of inability of a student to give the demanded bank guarantee, assurances of a similar nature should be accepted or the government should help students to avail of additional/new education loans amounting to the demanded sum.
The government should probe ways to file an appeal petition against the latest Supreme Court verdict on fees and present all relevant facts to alter or modify the decision in favour of students.
In the event of inability to secure an order from the apex court that submission of a bond in lieu of the bank guarantee is enough, the state government should give an undertaking in the Supreme Court to stand guarantee for the students till the fee fixation committee took a final decision.
The scope of co-operative banks providing guarantee should be looked into, if the government is not able to provide the bank guarantee till a finality on fee structure comes from the fee fixation committee.