Pay first year fee difference to medical students: Bombay HC to Maharashtra govt

Maratha Kranti Morcha workers protest at Bharatmata junction in Parel, after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition challenging constitutional validity of Maratha reservation in May this year. File pic

Almost two years after their admissions to private colleges due to the Maratha reservation policy, medical students will finally get some relief in terms of the fee. Through an order dated July 28, the Bombay High Court (HC) has instructed the state government to complete reimbursement of the first year fee of these students within the next two months.

These students were eligible for medical course seats in government colleges but they had to take admission in private colleges owing to the additional seats reserved under the Maratha reservation policy. Considering that there is a huge difference between the fee structures of government and private medical colleges, the then state government had assured that the fee difference would be reimbursed.

"The state government informed the court that a sum of Rs 6.25 crore has been released for the first-year fee reimbursement and deposited under the head of ‘Directorate, Medical Education and Research', but they requested for four months' time to disburse it. However, the court denied it and gave them two months," said Anand Kandoi, lawyer for student petitioners.

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Kandoi along with Kevin Gala represented a total of 16 petitioners. However, even as there are multiple petitions on the same issue, this order is expected to be applicable for all the 106 students who are eligible for the reimbursement.

"We are now focusing on resolving the fee issue of the remaining years," added Kandoi, informing that in the next hearing on August 3, the state would clarify the procedure of reimbursement before the court.

The issue, which was resolved around November 2019, continues to trouble these students. "Considering that the reimbursement decision had already been made, we were waiting for the government to take action accordingly. But when our wards' names started appearing in the list of students whose fees were pending, we got worried and moved court. The amount that will be disbursed now is only for the first year fees, which we have already paid in full. But for the second year we have only paid the government college fee because the state is supposed to pay the remaining," shared Savitri Lath, mother of one of the petitioners.