Joka's ESIC medical college at Joka ups fee from Rs 24k to Rs 1L

In an unprecedented move, the ESIC medical college at Joka, a Central government-owned institution, increased the tuition fees for the undergraduate medical course from Rs 24,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per student in a year for the current academic session. This has created confusion among the medical aspirants and guardians who have raised questions on how a Centre-owned medical college can increase its tuition fees exorbitantly without thinking about the candidates who are not financially sound. Senior officials of the ESIC Medical College said that fees structure is prepared by a corporation under the Union Labour ministry and they have no responsibility in this regard. It has been learnt that the premier medical institutions in the country do not have a fees structure where a candidate is asked to pay Rs one lakh as a tuition fees for one year. Many guardians whose children have secured a rank in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) this year expressed their concerns over the increase of fees at this medical college.

Till the last year, the college authorities used to take Rs 24,000 as tuition fees from each student for one year. The college authorities also decided to impose a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on those candidates who will not continue the course after getting an admission in the college. Earlier, the candidates willing to leave the college in the middle of their studies had to pay the college authorities an amount of Rs seven lakh. The amount has been increased by a whooping Rs three lakh.

Whereas, in state government-run colleges a candidate has to pay tuition fees of Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 per year. A source in this medical college said that there was no option other than hiking the fees as it has become difficult for the ESIC corporation to run the medical colleges and hospitals without increase the fees structure. Many of the ESIC Medical Colleges are facing an acute financial crisis. To overcome the crisis, the increase in the tuition fees has become inevitable, the source said. The state government is likely to start counseling within the next few days and the decision of the ESIC Medical College Hospital authorities has left the people shattered as it would be difficult for many candidates to arrange such a huge amount of money as tuition fees.

Prof Jayasri Mitra, Dean of this medical college said: "It is not our decision. The fees structure has been prepared by the ESIC corporation that controls the medical colleges."