Medical Education: Supreme Court issues notice in petition challenging NMC directive for government fee in 50% of private colleges and deemed universities seats:

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The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued notice in a petition challenging the validity of the National Medical Commission’s (NMC) decision that the fee for 50% of seats in private medical colleges and deemed universities should be at par with the fee in government medicine. Colleges in that State and Union TerritoryThe Office Memorandum (OM) issued by the NMC on February 3, 2022 states that 50% of the seats in private medical colleges should be equal to the fee in government medical colleges of a particular state. Further, it envisages that the benefit of such fee structure will first be made available to the candidates who have availed Government quota seats, but limited to 50% of the total sanctioned strength of the Medical College/Deemed University concerned.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli gave the NMC two weeks to file a counter-affidavit in the matter. “You are only seeking to challenge the Office Memorandum?”, the bench asked, when the matter came up today. The position has already been held in the case of petitioners’ counsel TMA Pai and various other judgments argued “Besides, the Kerala High Court has already stayed the criminal part of the memorandum, but it is limited to the area of ​​only Kerala”, he argued.

Last week, the Kerala High Court held that the NMC’s decision that fees in 50% of seats in private medical colleges and deemed universities should be equal to the fees in government medical colleges would not be applicable in the state of Kerala. “Why have you not moved the Calcutta High Court, the bench asked and the counsel replied that the operation of the NMC direction is pan-India.

Seeking a shorter date, the counsel argued that the admission process is around the corner.
“Entry will not be completed.You know how long this process will take, Bench immediately added.The petition, filed by the AHSI Association of Health Sciences Institutes, said that the Supreme Court had repeatedly held in various judgments that the method of fixation of fees would be subject to consideration of various guidelines such as facilities available in the college, infrastructure, age, etc. Investments, expansion plans etc