Supreme Court Upholds Higher Fee Structure for Private Medical Colleges
The Supreme Court ruled that private medical colleges can charge higher fees than government institutions, while upholding the legality of the Rajasthan fee regulation framework approved by authorities.
New Delhi : The Supreme Court has ruled that private medical colleges cannot be prevented from charging higher tuition fees than government medical institutions, reaffirming the legal validity of the existing fee structure.
The decision came while upholding an earlier judgment of the Rajasthan High Court, which had supported the fee structure determined by the state’s Fee Regulation Committee. The apex court found no reason to interfere with the framework approved under the law.
The case was filed by a petitioner who argued that the annual tuition fee charged by private medical colleges, ranging between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, was beyond the reach of candidates from the Economically Weaker Sections category.
The petitioner contended that students from families with an annual income of around Rs 8 lakh would find it difficult to afford such high fees. However, the Supreme Court maintained that private institutions are not required to match the fee levels charged by government medical colleges and allowed the existing fee structure to remain in force.
