Pay up, court tells students

Medical students will have to follow the new fee structure. The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the students to pay the fees for 2007-’08 as decided by the fee structure committee. The first instalment will have to be paid by September 30. And if they do not, their marksheets or degree certificates might be withheld.

Students had filed petitions against the management of several medical colleges saying the fees demanded were exorbitant. On September 6, the HC had asked the students to pay the revised fees within four weeks. The management of a few colleges alleged that defaulting students were taking advantage of the interim order; and that the university registrar had declared the results though students had not paid the revised fees.

Though the petition challenging the legality of such a revision was pending, students will have to pay up for now. The court also said if it found that excess fees had been charged, the excess money will have to be returned to students at a yearly interest of 9 per cent.