HC orders fixing of deemed varsities' medical courses fees by Oct

The Madras High Court today ordered fixing of fees for various medical and dental courses in self-financing, deemed universities positively by October end after hearing all stakeholders.

A bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice P T Asha gave the direction after the University Grant Commission informed it that a 11-member committee has already been set up for the purpose.

Disposing of a bunch of petitions seeking constitution of a fee determination committee, the bench said all stake holders of fee fixation process should be given a hearing before finalising the report by the panel.

The UGC informed the bench that an 11-member fee fixation committee has been set up by the Human Resource Development Ministry for regulating the fees charged by deemed universities for medical courses.

Submitting a copy of a letter on the constitution of the committee, the counsel for UGC sought at least four months time to file the report as the stakeholders have to be heard.

The high court and the supreme court had ordered the UGC to constitute a committee to go into the fee determination.

In an interim order on June 8, the bench had directed the deemed universities to collect a fees of Rs 13 lakh per annum for UG medical courses, pending determination of the fee by the committee.