HC impleads 10 deemed varsities in case on medical fee issue

The Madras High Court today impleaded 10 deemed universities on a PIL seeking direction to the Tamil Nadu government to fix tuition fee structure for all medical courses offered by deemed-to-be varsities for 2017-18.
A First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar issued notice to the universities for filing response by July 17.
The plea by Jawaharlal Shanmugam also wanted the government to take into consideration the complete financial statements of the deemed universities before fixing the fees.
Alleging that so-called deemed varsities were operating only with the sole intention of amazing wealth through black and white money generation, the petitioner said profiteering was the sole objective in running medical colleges and in total contravention of apex court orders.

The petitioner submitted that in the calculation of tuition fee the entire income of the medical college and its teaching hospital should be taken into consideration and not just expenses alone.
Noting that there is concealment and falsification of financials, the petitioner said the Income Tax department was aware and the expenses revealed by the deemed universities may not be true picture.

The petitioner while referring to the institutions run under the name of charitable trust, alleged that so-called deemed universities enjoy great privileges in running their institutions.
"The exorbitant tuition fees charged per annum goes against the very principle and objective of running charitable trusts," he said.

Further, he submitted that offering a posh and sophisticated atmosphere inside the campus cannot be the criteria to fix exorbitant tuition fees.
Even such atmosphere is created only to cater to the needs of affluent students, the petitioner submitted.
The exorbitant tuition fees running to several lakhs of rupees charged by private medical colleges and deemed universities are beyond the reach of any common meritorious candidate, he alleged.
Real merit-based admission even through NEETwould have no meaning, he said, adding the very objective of NEET-based merit admission was itself getting defeated in the context.
Such varsities were managed by highly influential people with enormous political clout and to perpetrate corrupt activities, the petitioner contended.