NMC frames guidelines for fee determination of MBBS and PG medical courses

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has framed guidelines to determine fees for MBBS and postgraduate courses in private medical colleges and deemed-to-be-universities. As per the guidelines, no medical institution should charge a capitation fee. Besides, no additional expense should be added to the fees. All operating costs and other expenses for the maintenance of the institution should be covered in the fees.

For the determination of fees for MBBS/PG courses, it needs to be ensured that the principle of education being “not-for-profit”, is strictly adhered to, said the NMC in its official guidelines. The regulation of fee will ensure that no college charges exorbitant fees for MBBS courses or donations during admissions. This will ensure that students do not have to drop out of seats due to lack of funds.

The operating cost should primarily form the basis for the determination of fees for medical education and should be arrived at on the basis of the last annual audited accounts of the institution, suggested NMC. It had further sought suggestions or feedback on the guidelines if any.

NMC further added that for newly established medical colleges where overheads like interest, depreciation, and salary would be very high in comparison to old-established medical colleges, the determination of fee for a newly established college should be made on an ad-hoc basis. It should be based on the fee structure of the most recently established medical colleges in the state, whose audited balance sheets are available.

Further, since most colleges had to suspend physical classes for some time for the academic year 2020-21 due to the Covid-l9 pandemic, some expenses such as hostel maintenance, mess, and other expenses directly related to students had decreased but expenses such as hospital running expenditure, salaries and overtime allowances of medical staff and doctors, medical facilities expenses and other related administrative expenses had increased. In such cases, the State Fee Regulatory Authority may consider the average audited financial result of the previous three years, with appropriate inflation adjustment.

The total sanctioned strength of the number of students is to be taken into account for the purpose of determination of cost per student, separately for MBBS and PG courses, as per the guidelines.