Online protest against PG medical, dental fee hike planned

02/05/2020, JAYASIMHA K.R.,BENGALURU

The State government’s decision on Friday to hike fees for postgraduate medical and dental seats in private colleges for the 2020-21 academic year has students up in arms. The Medical Service Centre (MCS), Karnataka, and All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) have organised an online protest on Saturday that will see doctors, medical students and PG aspirants holding placards on social networking sites, urging the government to withdraw the decision.

MCS and AIDSO have urged the government to immediately withdraw the hike and also increase the number of seats for PG in all government medical colleges. Sithara H.M. of AIDSO said that a fee hike at a time when the entire country is reeling under the effects of the pandemic was unacceptable and undemocratic. “At this juncture, we cannot even take this issue to streets and the government is suppressing dissent using the lockdown as a shield,” she said.

On Friday, the government announced its decision to hike PG medical and dental fees for institutional quota by 30% and government quota seats by 20% for both dental and medical streams.

Priyanka J.P., another medical PG aspirant, said that she had expected a 10% hike, which is generally done every year, and had planned and arranged the amount based on that. “However, everything has changed now and I will have to change my plans accordingly,” she said.

The seat matrix was released late April 30 night and the last date option entry for eligible candidates was May 2. “This is undemocratic and unfair, that too when there is complete lockdown. We hardly have any time to think and plan,” she added.

Experts warn that seats may go vacant

K.S. Nagesh, former member, Dental Council of India, and former principal of R.V. Dental College, Bengaluru, said that the government should have approved only a 10% hike. “Colleges have to pay salaries and bear many other expenses and hence a 10% hike is acceptable. But, at the same time, we should also take into account the hardship that parents and students are facing,” he said. He also warned that due to the hike, a situation may arise where seats may go vacant as many people cannot afford to pay so much.

Managements of private colleges maintain that they only got half of what their long standing demand was. M.R. Jayaram, chairman, Ramaiah Medical College, argued that without the hike, private medical colleges “would be doomed”. “Our demand was a 40-50% hike. The committee appointed by the government recommended a 30-40% hike but we didn’t get that either,” said Mr. Jayaram.

S. Kumar, Chancellor, Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education & Research, said the government was probably trying to narrow the huge gap between fee structures in private colleges affiliated to RGUHS and deemed to be universities. “I am surprised by the hike of 20-30% at this juncture, but that was a long standing demand,” he said.