3 dental colleges get notices for excess fees

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12.01.2022

Bengaluru: The admission overseeing committee has sent notices to three dental colleges in the state for charging excess fees for PG courses, reports Sruthy Susan Ullas. The panel has asked the colleges to refund the additional fees or they have to show cause as to why action should not be initiated against them for violating the consensual agreement.

The colleges which have been sent notices are Rajarajeshwari Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru; Oxford Dental College, Bengaluru; and Maratha Mandal Dental College, Belagavi.

We’ve receipts from students, says panel

The committee is headed by Justice B Manohar. The colleges have been accused of collecting Rs 1.2 lakh more than the prescribed fee.

According to the agreement signed between the government and the Karnataka Religious and Linguistic Minority Professional Colleges Association and Association of Professional Colleges in Karnataka, the colleges can collect Rs 3.6 lakh for government-quota seats and Rs 6 lakh for private-quota seats. Additionally, other fees of Rs 15,000 a year and transportation fees can be collected. Colleges can also charge an additional Rs 30,000 as skill fees, if they provide it. According to the complaints received by the committee, when students went to colleges for reporting, the college authorities “demanded and forcefully collected Rs 1.2 lakh towards dental material and clinical fee”.

“Any fee collected over and above the fee mentioned in the covenant is contrary to law and construed as collection of capitation fee which was prohibited under the provisions of Karnataka Educational Institutions (prohibition of capitation fee) Act,1984,” read the notices.

“The notices were dispatched on Tuesday. We’ve the admission order and receipts from students. They have charged Rs 75,000 for dental material and Rs 50,000 for clinical labs, which are not permissible under law,” said Justice B Manohar.

Maratha Mandal Group of Institutions president Rajshree Nagaraju told TOI they have not yet received the notice. “For every amount we are charging, we are giving a receipt. We have also displayed on our website the fees we are charging. We have a research centre, which is a centre for excellence approved by RGUHS, where we give skill development programme, and a red cross fee that we give to the university. Students have the right to ask if I am not giving a receipt. Here, there is a receipt and a reason. There is transparency,” she said.

RR Nagar Dental College said it did not want to respond until it received the notice.

Oxford Dental College said they have not asked students to pay any fees at the college. “We have not asked students to come and pay any fees in our college. Students have to pay fees only at KEA. The last date for admissions, as per Dental Council of India, was November 20. However, the state government conducted the counseling in December. Hence, all admissions are yet to be approved,” said Dr AR Pradeep, principal.