A bill in this regard is expected to be tabled in the monsoon session of the assembly in order to convert the ordinance into a law.
Although the state government's move of promulgating the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Education Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Ordinance, 2015 covers all professional colleges, it is expected to hurt the unaided medical colleges which are often accused of collecting hefty fees and profiteering. The association of unaided medical colleges of Maharashtra plans to challenge the government's move in court.
Through the comprehensive ordinance, the government seeks to control the fee-structure and admission process, a move welcomed by students and parents bodies. A check on fee and admission would help make professional education affordable for students from the middle class who often lose the chance as money, not merit, becomes the deciding factor in these colleges.
A bill in this regard is expected to be tabled in the monsoon session of the assembly in order to convert the ordinance into a law.
Jayant Jain, president of the forum for fairness in education, said, "This was much awaited as most colleges have been enjoying all kinds of immunity due to political support."
Majority of professional colleges are owned or backed by politicians, a fact which has reportedly refrained the governments of the state from making any law against them and curb their alleged profiteering and controversial admission process.
Maharashtra has 27 unaided medical and dental colleges with over 5,000 seats for MBBS, BDS, BSc nursing and other paramedical courses. More than 35,000 candidates from across the country compete in the Associate-CET exam conducted jointly by these colleges annually.
At present, the asking capitation rate for an MBBS undergraduate seat is Rs30-50 lakh. For postgraduate medical seats, the rate is between Rs75 lakh and Rs2 crore, depending upon the speciality. In addition, students need to pay annual fee ranging from Rs5 lakh to Rs0 lakh.
As various governments continued to be ignorant, business of private medical education boomed in Maharashtra. Dearth of the seats in public education system also helped these colleges.
Admission for engineering, pharmacy and other professional courses in unaided colleges have already been brought under the common admission process in Maharashtra. However, their fee structure would be under government scrutiny now.
'Move illegal'
Calling the proposed ordinance as "violation of SC guidelines", president of the association of unaided medical colleges of Maharashtra, Dr Kamal Kishore Kadam, said, "The SC in its 2013 order had already stated that the colleges which receive no grants from the government have got right to admission, can decide on fee and governance. We will approach court once we see the Ordinance."
On allegation of profiteering, Dr Kadam, chairman of the MGM Medical College, Vashi and former education minister, said, "The government also spends Rs35-40 lakh per medical student per year in its own colleges. The students pay only 2% of it as state subsidises the fee. We can't do that."
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