No fee hike for nursing courses this year: K'taka govt

Bengaluru, July 10 (IANS) In a strong message to private nursing colleges, the Karnataka government has announced that there will be no fee hike for nursing courses this academic year, reiterating its commitment to protecting students from economically weaker sections.

Medical Education and Skill Development Minister Sharanaprakash Patil made this clear during a meeting with the Association of Nursing Colleges held at Vikasa Soudha on Thursday.

“The government will not allow any fee increase. Most nursing students come from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Imposing additional fees is unjust and unacceptable,” said Minister Patil, rejecting the association's plea to raise the fees.

He stated that the existing fee structure -- Rs 10,000 under the government quota, Rs 1 lakh under the management quota and Rs 1.4 lakh for non-Karnataka students -- will continue.

“Any college charging more than the approved fee will face penalties and legal action. We will not hesitate to revoke their affiliation,” he asserted.

Currently, there are 611 nursing colleges in the state with around 35,000 seats. Of these, 80 per cent are filled by the management, and 20 per cent fall under the government quota.

The minister also directed Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) Director H. Prasanna to ensure reimbursement of fees to nursing colleges within 30 days. He further clarified that only the state government will decide on filling unallocated seats, closing the door to any unauthorised changes.

The Karnataka government on May 17 had declared that there will be no increase in the fee structure for medical and dental courses in the upcoming academic year, despite pressure from private medical colleges.

Private colleges had appealed for a 10 per cent to 15 per cent hike in fees. However, the minister stated that although the government had allowed a 10 per cent increase last year, no fee hike will be permitted this year.

In September 2024, Minister Sharan Prakash Patil ordered the formation of a fee regulatory committee to monitor and regulate the fee structures of nursing colleges across the state following the complaints about exorbitant fees allegedly charged by them.

The five-member fee regulatory committee is headed by the Joint Secretary of the Medical Education Department.

Patil had also instructed to withdraw the Essential and Feasibility Certificate (EC & FC) of any nursing college found imposing fees beyond government-prescribed limits.

In a move against substandard para-medical colleges, Minister Patil had also directed officials to withdraw affiliations and shut down institutions failing to meet infrastructure and teaching standards.

--IANS

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