The Tamil Nadu government would incur a loss of ₹300 crore if it regulated the fees for the students of Government Cuddalore Medical College [former Rajah Muthiah Medical College] in Chidambaram, who were admitted before February 2021, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said in the Assembly on Thursday.
Responding to a special calling attention motion moved by some legislators, who urged the government to bring the fee structure of the institution on a par with that of other government colleges, Mr. Subramanian said the fee fixed during the admission process was generally not increased or reduced till the end of the course. “This is because if the fee is reduced after the completion of the admission process, it would be an injustice to those who chose not to pursue admission in the college due to high fees earlier,” Mr. Subramanian said.
In fact, by revising the education fee to benefit UG and PG medical and dental students in October 2021, the State government had already incurred a loss of ₹119.88 crore, the Minister said.
AIADMK legislator N. Thalavai Sundaram (Kanniyakumari), Congress MLA K. Selvaperunthagai (Sriperumbudur), PMK MLA G.K. Mani (Pennagaram), CPI member K. Marimuthu (Tiruthuraipoondi) and Panruti MLA T. Velmurugan urged the State government to reduce the education fee of the Government Cuddalore Medical College.
In 2020-21, the State government announced that Rajah Muthiah Medical College, then attached to Annamalai University in Chidambaram, would function as a government medical college for Cuddalore district.
On January 27, 2021, a G.O. was issued to transfer the medical institutions attached to Annamalai University - Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Rani Meyyammai College of Nursing and Rajah Muthiah Dental College - to the Health Department.
Eventually, the State government issued a G.O. on February 1, 2021 revising the fee structure for Rajah Muthiah Medical College, Rajah Muthiah Dental College and Rani Meyyammai College of Nursing.
As per the revision, MBBS students should pay ₹13,160 a year in tuition fees; BDS students ₹11,610; and B.Sc. nursing students ₹5,000. For postgraduate degrees, the fee is ₹30,000 a year, and for PG diploma, it is ₹20,000, according to the order.
“This G.O. is to apply for students who were admitted after the college was declared a government medical college,” the Minister pointed out.
However, some students who were admitted before it was declared a government medical college, seeking a revision, moved the Supreme Court, which also allowed the government to collect the fees that the students agreed to pay when they were admitted to the course.
Mr. Subramanian pointed out that the State government issued a G.O. on October 26, 2021 reducing the education fee to benefit UG and PG students in medical institutions attached to Annamalai University.
The State government had reduced the fee from ₹5,44,370 to ₹4,00,000 for the academic years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 for UG and PG medical students. Likewise, for students pursuing dental programmes, the fee was revised from ₹3,54,000 to ₹2,50,000 for the academic years 2017-18 and 2018-19.
“These students agreed to pay the fee determined when they were admitted to the course. If their request is accepted, it would be an injustice to students who did not pursue admission only because the fee was high back then,” Mr. Subramanian reiterated.
