Mumbai: Prakash Institute of Medical Science and Research, Sangli, recently found itself at the centre of a controversy after the Fee Regulating Authority (FRA) delisted the college over allegations of charging students higher fees than those approved by the FRA.
The college, which began admitting postgraduate (PG) medical students this year, has challenged the FRA’s decision by filing a writ petition in the Bombay High Court.
The issue surfaced when several students who were allotted seats in the college’s Doctor of Medicine/Master of Surgery (MD/MS) programmes through the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra, approached the FRA.
The students alleged that the college had initially displayed an approved ad-hoc fee of ₹10.5 lakh per year for institutional quota seats on its website.
However, after the admission process began, the college allegedly revised the fee to ₹16 lakh per year, demanding a total payment of ₹64 lakh for the entire course. This discrepancy left students in a difficult position, forcing many to seek clarification from the FRA.
Medical education activist Brijesh Sutaria criticised the college’s handling of the fee structure. “Why wasn’t the fee discrepancy resolved by the college before the admission process began? Aspirants who checked the college website found that the fees being charged were significantly higher than those fixed by the FRA. This left many students in a dilemma, as the fees exceeded their budget,” he told the Free Press Journal.
Consequently, several students approached the FRA for clarity. While the FRA directed students to pay the fees approved by them, the college allegedly refused to grant admission unless students paid the higher fees displayed on their website. “This situation caused unnecessary stress and confusion for the aspirants,” Sutaria added.
Sudha Shenoy, a medical education counsellor, highlighted the exploitation of loopholes in the ad-hoc fee system.
“The colleges which have got fresh approval for PG admissions, like the Prakash medical college, are claiming ad-hoc fees. Their fees are not decided by the FRA in the first two years, that’s why FRA approves ad-hoc fees. But the colleges are exploiting the loopholes in the ad-hoc system.
A student told me that ad-hoc fees for a college were ₹36 lakh for the entire course, but the college demanded ₹44 lakh, claiming that the FRA will soon approve ₹44 lakh. The students suffer due to these things.
The FRA must ensure that no college is able to change the fee structure once the admission process commences. The FRA must decide the fees before the admission process starts,” she said.
In response to complaints, the FRA directed the college to admit the affected students by charging the originally displayed ad-hoc fee of ₹10.5 lakh per year.
Additionally, the FRA allowed the college to secure an undertaking from students, stipulating that any difference between the ad-hoc and final fees approved by the FRA would be payable or refundable, depending on the FRA’s final decision. Despite these directives, the college has maintained its stance and refused to comply, prompting the FRA to delist the institution.
The institute refused to comment on the issue, saying, “the matter is sub-judice, so we cannot talk about it.”
The Bombay High Court is set to hear the college’s petition on January 20. The outcome of this legal battle could have significant implications for students and other institutions embroiled in fee-related disputes.
