The Medical Education Commission (MEC) has threatened to terminate the affiliation of numerous medical colleges that have been accused of charging excessive fees to MBBS students.
On Tuesday, the MEC, which is also the governing body for the medical education sector, published a notice clarifying that institutions cannot charge fees in violation of the law.
According to the statement, “the fee ceiling set by the government covers all expenses – university registration fee, internal and board examination fee, forensic posting, field visit, internship fee, application fee, affiliation fee, admission fee, lab fee, and library fee – required to complete all necessary educational activities.”
Medical schools, on the other hand, have been asking higher fees for the same reasons. Some medical schools have also been caught making students stay in a hostel and demanding a large fee for the privilege.
The MEC stated in the notice that using a hostel is a personal option for students and cannot be forced upon them.
“Charging extra fees for reasons that are not covered by the law is a violation of the laws protecting the access to education for low-income students and those who are eligible for scholarships.” Concerned authorities will intervene if colleges demand higher fees than the ceiling,” said the statement.
It also stated that Sub-section (1) of Section (14) of the National Medical Education Act, 2075 will also be attracted in such case.
The provision of affiliation termination is addressed in Section 14. Affiliation can be dissolved if educational institutions seek a higher charge than the one set by the government, according to Subsection (1) of the Act.
After colleges demanded more fees than the fixed ones, new batches of MBBS students in various regions of the country were forced to knock on the doors of relevant district administration offices, universities, and the MEC.
Students who refuse to pay the extra charge risk being dropped from their classes.
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